The Israeli Government has said it will continue to cut off food, water and fuel to millions of people in Gaza until Hamas frees the hostages it took last weekend.
So far, 1,200 Gazans have died in Israeli air strikes on the territory and 5,339 injured - of whom around 60% are women and children.
Gaza resident Mansour Rayan described the strikes as akin to a “belt of fire”.
"A shell descended each second and the houses and streets would shake," he said.
"This is an usurping occupier, a criminal occupier, it targets hospitals, it targets towers, it targets commercial stores, it kills children, it kills women, and it has no deterrent."
Israel’s death toll has also risen to 1,200 and Hamas is thought have 150 hostages; Israel's Energy Minister has ruled out switching back on the power supply until they are freed.
"Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electrical switch will be turned on, no water hydrant will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli abductees are returned home," Israel Katz said.
"Humanitarian for humanitarian. And no one will preach us morals."
Diplomacy
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is flying to Israel today and Washington is in talks with Israel, the UN and Egypt on allowing aid into Gaza and a safe passage out of the territory.
Secretary Blinken will also meet Hussein Al-Sheikh, the secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
President Joe Biden has told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he expects Israel must "operate by the rules of war" in the coming days.
The United States has Israel's back. We have their back today, we will have it tomorrow, and we will have it every day. And we will always stand — resolutely — against terrorism. pic.twitter.com/Bil3NgWEaw
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 11, 2023
Benny Gantz, the opposition leader, has joined Netanyahu’s war cabinet and said the new Government is “united” and ready to "wipe this thing called Hamas off the face of the Earth".
Some 300,000 IDF reservists have been sent to the Gaza border ahead of a potential land invasion of the territory.
Among the Israeli dead is Kim Damti, an Irish Israeli woman whose mother is from Portlaoise.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said her killing was “senseless and barbaric” and described Ireland as “united in mourning” for her.
Main image: Gaza City on October 11th 2023. Picture by: AP Photo/Fatima Shbair.
