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| Khan Younis after reported air and artillery strikes. |
Despite the US-brokered ceasefire on October 10, Israel carried out artillery and air strikes on the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, local sources say. Helicopter gunships and heavy artillery targeted residential areas as ceasefire violations continue.
Key Developments
Fresh Israeli Strikes Despite Truce
- Helicopter gunships and artillery targeted residential areas in Khan Younis.
- Attacks were reported even though the ceasefire agreed on October 10 remains nominally in effect.
- Eyewitnesses described the strikes as “persistent” and “terrifying.”
Marwan Barghouti Beaten in Prison
Prominent Palestinian political figure Marwan Barghouti was reportedly beaten by Israeli prison guards and described by family as “physically shattered,” his son said. The assault has drawn condemnation from Palestinian officials and rights groups.
Israel Raises Military Budget to $34 Billion
Israel’s defence budget for next year has been increased to $34 billion, up from an earlier draft of $27 billion. The defence minister said the increase is intended “to ensure the security of the state of Israel on every front.”
Humanitarian note: International and Palestinian groups say the scale of destruction in Gaza is catastrophic and have used the term “genocidal” to describe the overall human impact.
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| Women react following the death of relatives killed in Israeli attacks in Khan Younis |
UN: Gaza’s Health System on the Edge
Nestor Owomuhangi, the UN Population Fund representative to Palestine, warned in a UN briefing that Gaza’s health sector is on the verge of collapse. He recounted conversations with local health workers describing acute shortages of power, supplies and pay.
“Gaza’s health system is still standing only because its workers refuse to abandon it,” Owomuhangi said.
Examples shared at the briefing:
- A maternity doctor showed an incubator with two premature babies and warned that any power cut could be catastrophic.
- A midwife who lost family and home continues to work despite not being paid for months.
Owomuhangi described most Gaza families as living in overcrowded shelters where hunger and disease are daily threats. He warned that more than 57,000 households in Gaza are now headed by women, many without a source of income, and that winter rain and flooding have worsened conditions.
“People no longer ask for warmth, education or proper food. They ask for a tent, a small heater, or a light,” he said.