The Knesset votes Thursday to approve adding five National Unity ministers to the far-right government, with 66 voting for it and only 4 voting against from the Hadash-Ta’al parliamentary group. MK Ayman Odeh who leads Hadash-Ta’al goup, says: “There is nothing in the world that justifies hurting a civilian, an innocent person,” speaking at the Knesset plenum.
“We need to take all the civilians, Jewish, Arab, Palestinian, out from the cycle of violence,” Odeh continues, and also slam Israel’s deadly strikes on Gaza. “Revenge is not the way.”
Far-right Likud MK Tally Gotliv interrupts his speech, screaming “revenge against Hamas!” and is quickly joined by other Likud and racist Otzma Yehudit lawmakers. “Only peace brings security, brings rights,” Odeh shouts back.”
Israeli bombardments from the air, sea, and land have continued and intensified across the Gaza Strip for the sixth consecutive day. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, in the last day 317 Palestinians were killed and 929 others injured. In total, 1,417 have been killed and 6,268 injured in Gaza since 7 October. Human rights organizations in Israel have expressed concerns about incidents where civilians and civilian objects appear to have been directly targeted by Israeli airstrikes
Volunteers retrieve the dead bodies Palestinians who tragically died in an Israeli airstrike on civilian homes in Gaza, October 12, 2023 (Photo: WAFA)
Palestinian armed groups in Gaza continued their indiscriminate rocket firing towards Israeli population centers, albeit with lesser intensity than in previous days. As a result, two people were killed in the southern Israel and several others were severely injured. According to Israeli official sources, at least 1,300 Israelis and foreign nationals have been killed in Israel since 7 October and at least 3,391 have been injured, the vast majority during the initial attack carried out by Palestinian armed groups
According the United Nations, mass displacement continues. In the Gaza Strip, the cumulative number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) increased by 25 percent over the past 24 hours, now exceeding 423,000 of whom over two thirds are taking shelter in UNRWA schools. Mass displacement in southern Israel has primarily occurred in the immediate vicinity to Gaza, where dozens of small communities have been fully evacuated.
Since yesterday at 14:00 Gaza has been undergoing a full electricity blackout, which has brought essential health, water and sanitation services to the brink of collapse, and exacerbated food insecurity. This followed Israel’s halt of its electricity and fuel supply to Gaza on 8 October, which in turn triggered the shutdown of Gaza’s sole power plant yesterday, after it depleted its fuel reserves. Secretary-General António Guterres stressed yesterday that “crucial life-saving supplies, including fuel, food and water, must be allowed into Gaza.” Between 100 and 150 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, some of whom are women and children, as well as some foreign nationals, have been captured and forcibly taken into Gaza. The Secretary-General called yesterday for the “immediate release of all Israeli hostages.”
Related: https://maki.org.il/en/?p=31257
