Gaza War Day 73: Israeli Strike Claims Lives Of Ten Family Members In Gaza, Death Toll Reaches 18,787 | 10 Updates

As the war on Gaza reaches day 73 with at least 18,787 Palestinians having been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to keep fighting in Gaza.

The civilian toll in Gaza and the Israeli military’s accidental killing of three hostages have raised questions over Israel’s strategy in Gaza. 

Here are the latest 10 updates on the situation.

1. Israeli strikes on Jabalia refugee camp kill 90

Israeli airstrikes on the Jabalia refugee camp have resulted in a reported death toll of at least 90 Palestinians. The strikes are part of an ongoing series of attacks by Israel on various targets in Gaza, including hospitals. The Gaza health ministry confirmed the casualties from the aerial assaults on the Jabalia refugee camp.

Jabalia stands as the largest among the eight refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, situated to the north of Gaza City near a village sharing its name. Established after the 1948 War, the camp became home to refugees, primarily those who fled villages in southern Palestine.

2. Four more soldiers killed in Gaza: Israeli army

The Israeli army has confirmed the death of four soldiers in the southern Gaza Strip amid recent clashes with Palestinian armed groups. 

Since the start of the IDF's ground operation in the Gaza Strip, 121 Israeli soldiers have been killed inside the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

3. WHO team calls Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital a 'bloodbath'

The World Health Organization (WHO) team has described the emergency department at Al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza as "a bloodbath" and stated that it is "in need of resuscitation" due to Israeli bombardments, as reported on Sunday.

The team observed that the emergency department was overwhelmed, with "hundreds of injured patients inside, and new patients arriving every minute." They further noted that "patients with trauma injuries were being sutured on the floor," and highlighted the absence of pain management services, stating that "no pain management is available."

4. Aid enters Gaza through Kerem Shalom crossing for first time since October 7, Israel says

The Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza has reopened for aid trucks, marking the first time since October 7, as confirmed by Israeli officials on Sunday. The decision aims to increase the flow of food and medicine reaching the enclave.

The crossing had been closed following an attack by Hamas on October 7. Prior to its reopening, aid was exclusively delivered through Gaza's Rafah crossing with Egypt, with Israel citing its capacity to accommodate only 100 trucks per day.

5. 70% of Palestinians killed in the territory during the war are women and children

Approximately 18,800 Palestinians — 70% of whom were women and children — have died in Gaza between October 7 and December 15, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah said in a statement Sunday.

6. Hungry and desperate Palestinians swarm moving trucks

In southern Gaza on Sunday, crowds of Gazans urgently sought supplies by swarming flatbed trucks, showing the desperation among residents after more than two months of Israeli airstrikes and ground operations. 

A video distributed by The Associated Press captured a truck slowing down as it approached a group of people in Rafah, with individuals jumping onto the truck and scaling pallets of supplies even before it came to a stop. Another video depicted several men throwing boxes to a gathered crowd from the back of a moving flatbed, while another man climbed on top of the stacked pallets.

7.‘Ten members of one family killed’ in Israeli strike on Nuseirat

Among the 25 people killed in the latest Israeli strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza were 10 members of one family, as revealed by grieving family members in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera.

8. Pope Francis Denounces Killing of Two Christian Women in Gaza

In an address on his 87th birthday, Pope Francis denounced as “terrorism” the Israeli Defense Forces killing of two unarmed christian women who were sheltering in a Catholic church in Gaza.

9. Israel claims to discover largest Hamas tunnel as death toll mounts in Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces claim to have discovered the largest Hamas tunnel in Gaza, measuring four kilometers (about 2.5 miles) in length.

The tunnel, secured "a few weeks ago" but disclosed to the public on Sunday, is wide enough to accommodate a large vehicle, reaching depths of up to 50 meters (over 160 feet) underground. It is reported to be equipped with electricity, ventilation, and communication systems.

10. Gaza's extended communication blackout

Gaza is experiencing its fifth and longest communication blackout, lasting four days, as reported by the Palestine Red Crescent Society on Sunday. This marks the lengthiest blackout since the commencement of the Israeli operation in October.

The ongoing communication disruption hinders the distribution of limited aid allowed into Gaza, impacting over a million people in need beyond the Gaza-Egypt border area of Rafah, according to Save the Children.