Over 40,000 Palestinians have died in the recent Israeli attacks on Gaza, as discussions about a ceasefire are scheduled to restart in Qatar. In the last day, the Israeli military caused the deaths of 40 individuals and injured 107 more, which increases the total number of fatalities to 40,005 and injuries to 92,401 since the start of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in early October 2023, according to a statement from health authorities in Gaza on August 14.
Many victims remain trapped in debris and on the streets, as ambulance and civil defence teams are unable to access them, according to the report. It only took five and a half months for the number of Palestinian deaths in the Gaza Strip to increase from 30,000 to 40,000. Israeli attacks on a large scale have persisted in the past month.
Gaza health officials reported that an Israeli airstrike on a medical facility in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on July 27 caused the deaths of at least 30 Palestinians and left over 100 others wounded. Authorities reported that over 100 Palestinians were killed and many more were injured when a school in Gaza City was bombed by Israelis on August 10.
The IDF stated that they are on-going with operational actions in the Gaza Strip, focusing on removing terrorists and breaking down terrorist infrastructure.
In the last 24 hours, more than 30 Hamas infrastructure sites, which included buildings filled with explosives, underground facilities, and storage areas for weapons, were destroyed by the Israeli Air Force, as reported by the IDF. Israel initiated a significant attack on Hamas in Gaza in response to a Hamas incursion through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 casualties and around 250 hostages.
The on-going conflict between Hamas and Israel has rendered the besieged coastal enclave unliveable. Approximately 305 square kilometres, nearly 84% of the Gaza Strip, have been ordered to evacuate by the Israeli military, as reported by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The UN Human Rights Office has reported 21 attacks on schools acting as shelters in the Strip since July 4, leading to a minimum of 274 deaths, including women and children, according to the latest information.
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), mentioned on social media platform X that women and girls frequently go for months without showering, enduring multiple menstrual cycles without cleaning themselves.
Many are required to trim their hair very briefly because of lice, absence of shampoo, limited water or combs, and numerous individuals have expressed feeling unsafe, lacking privacy or dignity in crowded shelters and displacement areas, according to Lazzarini.
Although many are hopeful for August 14 ceasefire talks in Doha, there is still a lingering sense of uncertainty. Suhail Hindi, who is part of Hamas's Political Bureau, stated that the organization will not be involved in the ceasefire.
Suhail Hindi stated that for Hamas to agree to the ceasefire proposed by US President Joe Biden, Israel needs to clearly commit to the agreement made on July 2. Hamas is prepared to follow through with the agreement if Israel shows their commitment. Hamas urged ceasefire mediators on Sunday to come up with a plan to carry out the proposal, rather than resorting to further negotiations or new proposals that mask the occupation's aggression.
Life is filled with tragedy. Individuals are striving to adjust, yet there is a lack of hope that this hardship will come to an end in the near future. "We are trying our best to survive and adjust, but the widespread destruction and loss of life are hindering our efforts," said Mohammed Hammad, a Palestinian resident of Deir al-Balah, in an interview with Xinhua.
Hammad expressed optimism for positive outcomes following the Doha summit, but also expressed concerns about the potential failure of ceasefire efforts as we near one year of war.
