- On the seventeenth day of the Israeli aggression in Gaza, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) escalated their operations against Palestinian civilians due to their inability to counter the resistance. Children were the most affected, accounting for 41% of the casualties and 33% of the injuries. Women and the elderly were the second-largest group, representing 26.3% of casualties and 28% of injuries. More than half of the missing individuals under the rubble are children, while women and the elderly make up 32%.
- To deal with the overcrowded morgues in hospitals, a new mass grave was opened to bury 48 unidentified individuals, bringing the total to 149. About 45% of housing units in Gaza were damaged, with 17,000 destroyed completely and over 12,000 rendered uninhabitable. Approximately 150,000 housing units suffered moderate to partial damage.
- Over 1.4 million people have been displaced due to direct targeting and continued indiscriminate bombings, which is 60% of Gaza’s population. Many found refuge in shelters, while others sought refuge with friends and relatives.
- The IOF continued to target healthcare personnel, resulting in the martyrdom of 57 doctors, nurses, and paramedics, with 100 more injured. They also targeted 25 ambulances in service.
- All neonatal units in Gaza face a severe shortage of life-saving medicines, and the imminent fuel shortage may lead to ventilator failure, risking the lives of 144 newborns.
- With continued attacks on homes and families, the number of targeted families has exceeded 597, resulting in 3,813 casualties.
- On Monday, October 23, 2023, there were 436 casualties, including 182 children and more than 123 women and the elderly, in addition to 1,028 injured, with 70% being children, women, and the elderly.
- As of 11:59 pm yesterday, the total number of martyrs since the start of the aggression was 5,087, including 2,055 children (40.4% of the total) and 1,336 women and the elderly (26.3%). This count does not include those still under the rubble. The total number of injured reached 15,273, with 4,992 children (33% of the total) and 4,276 women and the elderly (28% of the injured). Many remain in danger, and this count excludes those under the rubble.
- The Israeli Occupation has also escalated aggression in the West Bank, resulting in 98 martyrs, more than 1,773 injured, and 1,235 detentions since the beginning of the ongoing aggression.
On the seventeenth day of the “Israeli” genocide war, the Islamic Resistance
Movement (HAMAS) affirms that:
- The international community must bear responsibility for halting these genocidal acts by the Israeli Occupation Forces, which continue to occur under international watch.
- Since the international community has been ineffective in implementing resolutions related to Palestinian rights, including the right of return and self-determination, Palestinians have the right to resist the occupation, which has endured for 76 years.
- The Palestinian people will persist in their resistance to defend their rights, which have been denied for nearly eight decades, and stand united against oppression.
PCOM
October 24, 2023
