Gaza under siege braces for worst as Israel-Hamas fighting escalates

Rasha Abou Jalal

Oct 10, 2023

Palestinians look for survivors under the rubble of a house destroyed by an Israeli air strike in Rafah. — Palestinians look for survivors under the rubble of a house destroyed by an Israeli air strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, on Oct. 9, 2023. The Israeli army said it hit more than 500 targets in the Gaza Strip in overnight strikes, as the death toll from its war with Palestinian militants surged above 1,100. — SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The Israel-Hamas military escalation in the Gaza Strip has caused a humanitarian disaster for residents of the small coastal enclave on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea.

The escalation entered its third day, as Israel intensified its airstrikes on dozens of targets in the Gaza Strip in response to Hamas’ surprise offensive early Saturday morning, when Hamas fighters penetrated the Israel border and stormed the Israeli settlements in the Gaza envelope, killing dozens and taking hostages.

As of Monday, the death toll among Israelis has risen to at least 900, according to Israeli media reports, and the number of wounded exceeded 2,000. Meanwhile, Israel's Government Press Office confirmed in an infographic that at least 100 Israelis are currently being held captive in Gaza.

On the Palestinian side, the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said in its latest death toll that at least 560 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since Saturday, while 2,900 others were wounded.