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As the conflict between Israel and Gaza enters its 11th day, these are the main developments.

A Palestinian reacts amidst the rubble of a building after an Israeli airstrike on the Rafah

Palestinians evacuate wounded civilians after an Israeli airstrike at the Rafah refugee camp [Mohammed Abed/AFP]

Published On 17 Oct 2023

17 Oct 2023

Here is the situation on Tuesday, October 17, 2023:

Fighting

Ministry of Health officials told Al Jazeera that at least 71 people were killed overnight in Israeli bombardments. There were reports of heavy Israeli artillery shelling in some areas in the northern Gaza Strip. A top Hamas leader said it “has what it needs” to free all Palestinians in the Israeli jails, indicating the Palestinian group may try to use the Israeli captives as bargaining chips to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners. Hamas has 200-250 Israeli captives in Gaza, the group’s armed wing’s spokesperson said. The Israeli military says it has killed four militants who were trying to climb over a fence in Lebanon to plant an explosive device. Shin Bet, the head of Israel's domestic intelligence agency, took responsibility for failing to prevent Hamas' attacks on Israeli cities on October 7 that killed hundreds of people. human influence

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that "only water, electricity and fuel remain for 24 hours" in the besieged Gaza Strip. At least 2,808 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes. The number of Israelis killed in this attack and Hamas' military operation is approximately 1,400, including 286 soldiers. Hospitals in Gaza have struggled to cope with airstrikes and blockades in anticipation of an expected Israeli ground attack. A convoy carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza has arrived on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border. It has not yet been confirmed when the convoy will be able to enter Gaza.

diplomacy

US President Joe Biden will visit Israel and Jordan on Wednesday. The United States said it had agreed to an aid deal with Israel. Iran’s top envoy said Israel will not be allowed to take any action in the Gaza Strip without facing consequences, state TV reported. The Group of 7 head, Japan, will provide $10m in aid for civilians in Gaza, its foreign minister said, adding she was making final preparations for talks with her Iranian counterpart while monitoring the situation in Gaza with concern. In a phone call with Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi underlined the necessity of containing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict so that it does not threaten regional security the latter’s office said. Russian President Vladimir Putin told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Moscow wanted to help prevent a humanitarian disaster in Gaza as he waded into the Middle East crisis with a flurry of calls to regional players. Markets and business

Defence exchange-traded funds saw sharp inflows as the conflict threatened Middle East stability. Oil prices edged lower after falling more than a dollar on Tuesday on expectations that the United States will ease sanctions on the Venezuelan producer and stepped up efforts to prevent an escalation in the war between Israel and Hamas. Stablecoin issuer Tether has frozen 32 cryptocurrency wallet addresses with a total of $873,118 linked to the “war on terror” in Israel and Ukraine, the company said. Asian shares rose in cautious trading on Tuesday as investors decided to focus on corporate earnings outlook and the health of the U.S. economy amid tensions in the Middle East.