Israel Hamas conflict: Gaza says more than 1,300 Palestinians killed in IDF airstrikes as supplies cut off

The Palestinian death toll now stands at 1,354, the Gaza Health Ministry has said, as the number continues to rise.

It added that 6,049 others have been wounded in Israeli strikes since Saturday.

Israel said on Thursday there would be no humanitarian break to its siege of the Gaza Strip until all its hostages were freed, after the Red Cross pleaded for fuel to be allowed in to prevent overwhelmed hospitals from “turning into morgues”.

Israel’s Energy Minister Israel Katz said there would be no exception to the siege without freedom for Israeli hostages.

“Humanitarian aid to Gaza? No electrical switch will be lifted, no water hydrant will be opened and no fuel truck will enter until the Israeli hostages are returned home. Humanitarian for humanitarian. And nobody should preach us morals,” Katz posted on social media platform X.

Jewish parents in the UK say they are “terrified” about their children’s safety as schools step up security measures in the wake of Hamas’ deadly attacks in Israel.

At least one school has warned children against wearing any identifying badges on their uniforms and a parent told the Independent her son is covering his kippah with a baseball cap out of fear of reprisals.

Sadiq Khan has written to the foreign secretary urging the UK government to join calls for humanitarian access to Gaza.

In his letter to James Cleverly the mayor of London said there was “no justification” for the “sickening terrorist attacks committed by Hamas against Israel”.

“Israel has a right to defend itself and its people against terrorism, and to target those responsible. Any response must however be proportionate, adhere to international law, and take all steps to avoid the death and suffering of innocent Palestinians,” he wrote.

“I am deeply saddened by the loss of innocent life in Gaza that has already taken place as a result of Israel’s military response, and I am calling on the UK government to urgently work with international partners to secure humanitarian access and support to and from Gaza.

Mr Khan cited United Nations estimates that Israel’s military response in Gaza has left almost 340,000 people homeless, noting that “food, fuel and medicine supplies are also being blocked by Israel, in retaliation for the attacks we saw last weekend”.

“Both the UN and the World Health Organization have now called for an urgent need to establish humanitarian access and support for unimpeded, life-saving patient referrals and movement of humanitarian personnel and essential health supplies,” he said.

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is already of great concern, and we must recognise the implications of it deteriorating further. I urge the British government to join calls for humanitarian access to and from Gaza, which would allow essential supplies and humanitarian aid to reach those who desperately need it.”

Israeli families held funerals to bury their dead at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem on Thursday 12 October, as the country reels from last weekend’s Hamas attack.

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said in an update on Wednesday that at least 1,200 people have died as a result of last weekend’s assault and the days-long conflict.

The nation’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has alleged that the Hamas attackers engaged in atrocities, including binding boys and girls and shooting them in the head, burning people alive, raping women and beheading soldiers.

Netanyahu joined with a top political rival on Wednesday to create a wartime cabinet to oversee Israel’s retaliation against Hamas.

“I think in the immediate term, right now, we can continue to support – with the authorities in the appropriations we have – Israel and Ukraine. But, you know, we’re … certainly running out of runway,” said John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said Israel has “the right to do everything it can to rescue those hostages” in Gaza.

Asked on Good Morning Britain on ITV if he has fears over the level of Israel’s retaliation in Gaza and concerns that there may be breaches of international law, Mr Barclay said: “We think international law obviously should be followed and civilian casualties should be minimised.”

He added: “But we should also be very clear that the reason for this situation is because Hamas has taken hostages into Gaza and the Israeli Government has the right to do everything it can to rescue those hostages.

“And the reason that the people in Gaza are being put at risk is because Hamas embeds its military operations in civilian areas.”

Addressing questions over repatriation of UK citizens from Israel, he said: “Some commercial flights have been stopped but there are still commercial flights.”

Asked if there will be Government-sanctioned flights to bring back UK citizens, he said: “Well at the moment there are still commercial flights but of course the Foreign Office keeps these issues under review.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in Tel Aviv on Thursday as part of a Middle East tour to show Washington’s solidarity with Israel after the attacks by Palestinian Hamas militants and to work to prevent the conflict from widening.

Blinken will also try to help secure the release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas, some of whom are Americans, and advance talks with Israelis and Egyptians on providing a safe passage of Gaza civilians out of the enclave before a possible Israeli ground invasion.

Israel’s military spokesperson said on Thursday that Israel was able to confirm the identities of 97 people taken hostage into Gaza during an attack by Hamas on Saturday.

The offensive Israel launched on the blockaded Palestinian enclave since was meant to eliminate the ability of the Islamist militant movement to govern, Daniel Hagari said in a televised press briefing.

“The military is preparing for the next stage of the war,” he said, adding that 222 soldiers had been killed since Saturday.