Israel-Hamas war Day 77: Israeli army continues airstrikes; 1 in 4 people starving in Gaza | 10 updates

Israel-Hamas war Day 77: More than half a million people are starving across the Gaza Strip as per the United Nations. The war sparked by Hamas’ deadly 7 October rampage and hostage-taking in Israel has killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians so far. The war has also pushed Gaza’s health sector into collapse. Only nine of its 36 health facilities are still partially functioning, all located in the south, according to the World Health Organization. Meanwhile, Israel has said that it is in the final stages of clearing out Hamas militants from northern Gaza, but that months of fighting lie ahead in the south. Bombardment and fighting continued Thursday, and internet and communications that had been knocked out for several days gradually began to return across the territory.

Here are 10 updates on the Israel-Hamas war

• UN Security Council members are negotiating an Arab-sponsored resolution for a halt in fighting to allow for increased aid deliveries. A vote on the resolution has been postponed twice this week in the hopes of getting US support.

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• This week, Israel began allowing aid to enter Gaza through its Kerem Shalom crossing, which boosted the number of trucks entering from around 100 a day to around 190 on Wednesday. However, an Israeli strike on Thursday morning hit the Palestinian side of the crossing, causing a halt to aid deliveries.
• Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Israel has been working to increase its inspection of aid trucks to 300 or 400 a day and blamed the UN for failures in delivery.

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• Israel has vowed to continue the offensive until it destroys Hamas completely and saves all its hostages. Yesterday, Hamas fired a barrage of rockets at central Israel, showing its military capabilities remain formidable. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

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• The US has continued to support Israel’s campaign while also urging greater efforts to protect civilians. The US wants Israel to shift to more targeted operations aimed at Hamas leaders and the group's tunnel network.
• Communications services gradually returned to the central and southern areas of Gaza, after a two-day blackout. Landline connections, mobile networks, and internet connections were all disrupted during the day on Wednesday.

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• The Palestinian Health Ministry said that Israeli forces fatally shot a 16-year-old boy on Thursday. Israel says it is reviewing the incident.
• A UN report says that the entire population of 2.2 million Gazans is in a food crisis or worse: 478,000 are at crisis levels, 1.17 million are at emergency levels and 576,600 are at catastrophic — that is starvation — levels.
• Only 10% of the food required for the territory’s 2.2 million people has entered Gaza in the last 70 days, the United Nations’ humanitarian affairs office said.
• WHO officials said there has been a rise in amputations in the north, including among small children. “There’s no surgery happening right now in northern Gaza," Sean Casey said.