JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s early morning airstrikes in Gaza have abruptly ended a period of calm following a ceasefire with Hamas. Tuesday marked one of the deadliest days in recent Gaza history, with over 400 Palestinians killed and hundreds more injured. The initial stage of the ceasefire involved Hamas freeing 33 Israeli captives in exchange for the release of almost 2,000 Palestinian detainees by Israel. As part of the agreement, Israel was expected to increase its humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza. However, after these initial exchanges, Israel halted all aid deliveries to Gaza to pressure Hamas to prolong the ceasefire. This new round of Israeli attacks poses a serious threat to the deteriorating humanitarian situation for the approximately 2 million Palestinians in Gaza. Hamas has expressed concern that the intense bombardments endanger the lives of the remaining 24 hostages.
Here is an overview of the ongoing conflict, as provided by data from the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli military and government, and the United Nations.
Current situation in Gaza:
– Palestinians killed on Tuesday: at least 404
– Women and children killed on Tuesday: 263
– Senior Hamas officials killed on Tuesday: 6
– Aid trucks allowed into Gaza since March 2: zero
Overall conflict statistics:
– Total Palestinians killed: at least 48,981 (with no distinction between civilians and combatants)
– Palestinians wounded: at least 112,603
– Average number of aid trucks entering Gaza daily in December: 93 (U.N.), 163 (Israel)
– Aid trucks entering Gaza daily after the ceasefire until March 2: 600
– People killed in Israel on October 7, 2023: 1,200
– Israeli soldiers killed during Israel’s subsequent ground operation in Gaza: 407
– Palestinians displaced at the peak of the war: 1.9 million (approximately 90% of the population)
Hostages/Prisoners:
– Living hostages in Hamas custody: 24
– Non-Israeli hostages: 1 Thai and 1 Nepalese (alive), 2 Thais and 1 Tanzanian (deceased)
– Living Israeli hostages: 22, including 4 soldiers
– Bodies of hostages held by Hamas: 35, including 9 soldiers
– Hostages released during the recent ceasefire: 33
– Hostages taken on October 7, 2023: 251
– Palestinian prisoners released during the recent ceasefire: over 1,700
