Israel-Palestine war: First week ends with over 2,500 Palestinians, 1,400 Israelis killed

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has released a statement saying that all coalition partners in the government now favour the creation of an "emergency" national unity government in Israel.

"All coalition heads, without exception, supported the creation of an emergency national unity government and entrusted PM Netanyahu to work towards its creation," said the statement.

A number of other politicians put out supportive statements.

"Emergency national government. Now!" Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on social media.

"The emergency government must be created today!" wrote Science and Technology Minister Ofir Akunis.

Despite the calls for a national unity government, in light of the Hamas attack on Israel and the ongoing Israeli bombardment of Gaza, opposition politicians have yet to voice their support.

Footage captured on Saturday after Palestinian groups launched a surprise attack on Israel shows the apparent death of Israelis who were filmed in an earlier video being captured. 

The footage, analysed by the Washington Post, showed four people lying on the ground apparently dead. Another video presumably filmed earlier showed armed Palestinians taking four people into custody in the same location, who appear to be the same ones filmed in the other video.  

It is not immediately clear what happened between the filming of the two videos. Middle East Eye could not independently verify the footage. 

A second Israeli air strike has hit the Gaza-Egypt Rafah crossing, according to Egyptian media.

An Egyptian source told Madr Masr it was the second one to hit the site in 24 hours.

The first bombing - which came after the Israeli military said Palestinians should exit Gaza to Egypt - has obstructed movement through the crossing, though it reportedly opened again hours after the strike.

Madr Masr said the crossing was closed again following Tuesday's strike.

Israeli warplanes bombed the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza, the Palestinian ministry of interior has said.

The bombing, which came after the Israeli military said Palestinians should exit Gaza to Egypt, has obstructed movement through the crossing, the ministry added.

Palestinian journalists held a funeral on Tuesday for fellow reporters killed in intense Israeli shelling in Gaza. 

An Israeli air strike hit a building housing local journalists overnight, killing at least three reporters, named as Mohammad Sobh, Saed al-Taweel and Hesham al-Nawajha, according to local media. 

A total of six Palestinian journalists have been killed in the Israeli bombardment since Saturday so far, with two more reported missing. 

The Israeli military has told Palestinians to leave to Egypt as the air force continues to unleash intense bombardment of civilian infrastructure across the Gaza Strip.

“Rafah crossing is still open. Anyone who can get out, I would advise them to get out,” Richard Hecht, the army's international spokesperson, told reporters on Tuesday morning.

The Rafah crossing, between Gaza and Egypt, is closed. 

Good morning Middle East Eye readers.

It's been over 72 hours since Palestinian groups launched an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel from Gaza, setting off one of the deadliest rounds of fighting between the two sides.

The first day, Saturday, was marked by a sense of shock and confusion in Israel as Palestinian fighters broke through, and a sense of triumph in Palestine. 

Sunday saw Israel beginning to assess the damage and try to assemble a response, reaching out to the US for military support and declaring the country officially at war.

Monday was marked by "unimaginable massacres" committed by the Israeli air force in Gaza, Israeli "calls to commit war crimes" in the besieged enclave, and plans to inflict "collective punishment" on its 2.1 million civilian population by depriving them of water, food, fuel and electricity.

Here's a recap of the latest updates you need to know:

• Palestinians are waking up on Tuesday to scenes of mass destruction in Gaza, with entire neighbourhoods wiped out, including in many central and crowded area

• Majority of Israel's targets have been civilians. They have bombed hospitals, a UN school sheltering displaced people, universities, mosques, markets, banks, telecommunication companies, and residential towers, among other civilian infrastructure 

• Israel continued to carry out "widespread" air strikes overnight, albeit at a slightly slower rate than earlier on Sunday

• Inside Israel, the military claimed - again - to have regained control of the south. Previous similar claims were followed by reports of clashes between Palestinian fighters and Israeli troops

• While fighting in southern Israeli towns has dropped significantly, it remains unclear whether there are Palestinian fighters still there

• In northern Israel, the military confirmed three soldiers, including a senior army officer, were killed by Palestinians who crossed over from south Lebanon 

• The Islamic Jihad also confirmed that three of its fighters were killed in the clashes

• This has increased tensions along the Israel-Lebanon boundary significantly, with rocket and artillery fire exchanged between Israel, Palestinian groups and Hezbollah, who have lost four members in Israeli shelling so far 

• At least 900 Israelis and 700 Palestinians have been killed. Over 2,500 wounded on each side. The numbers are likely to rise

For more updates, keep an eye on Middle East Eye "Live" throughout the day and follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube.

Palestinians are waking up on Tuesday to scenes of mass destruction in Gaza, with entire neighbourhoods wiped out, including in many central and crowded area.

The Israeli military said on Tuesday that it had regained full control of Israel’s boundary fence with the besieged Gaza Strip.

The statement comes after three days of battling Palestinian fighters to secure the boundary after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, breaking through the fence and also sending fighters into Israel via boats and paragliders.

Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari noted that Palestinian fighters who crossed over from Gaza may still be operating in Israel, but in the last day not a single fighter entered via the fence. 

The announcement comes after Israel’s military said it struck more than 200 targets in the besieged enclave overnight.

The Israeli military also said about "1,500 bodies" of Hamas fighters were found in Israel. Middle East Eye could not independently verify the claims.

Hamas said last night more fighters are still crossing the boundary but has not commented on the number of its members who have been killed. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone call on Tuesday with Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen where the two discussed the ongoing Gaza war and hostages, according to the US State Department. 

"The Secretary reiterated US condolences to the people of Israel and all those impacted by Hamas’ violence and reaffirmed our efforts to secure the immediate release of all hostages," according to a State Department readout of the call. 

In an interview with CNN on Monday night Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said that Israel estimates that 100 to 150 hostages are being held in Gaza, including an unspecified number of US citizens and other foreigners. 

But he suggested that Israel would continue its bombing campaign against the enclave. 

"We expect the Red Cross, we expect all international organizations to focus on these hostages and how they are treated and that they receive treatment according to international law, but it's not going to stop us, prevent us from doing what we need to do in order to secure the future of Israel,” he said.

Israel's military said early on Tuesday that it is carrying out “widespread” air strikes against Hamas in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The strikes come as the Palestinian minister of health reported that the death toll from Israeli strikes had reached 704 people with mosques and a bustling market among the areas hit. 

In a televised speech on Monday night Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli military had been instructed to prepare for a mass offensive against Hamas following its surprise attack on Israel. 

Smoke was seen rising from buildings in Gaza City on Monday night as Israel continued to pound the besieged enclave with air strikes. 

The Israeli strikes come as the conflict moved into its fourth day Tuesday morning, with no respite in fighting.  

Meanwhile, the UN has warned that Gaza's hospitals and other health facilities are only partially functioning as a result of severe shortages of medical supplies and the fuel needed to operate backup generators.

The number of displaced people in Gaza now exceeds 187,518, and is expected to increase further as Israel continues to pound the besieged territory with airstrikes and artillery, the UN said.

Over 137,427 of the displaced people are taking shelter in UNRWA schools. But the facilities managed by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees are nearing capacity as Israel continues its heavy bombardment of the besieged enclave. 

The fighting has already forced the UN to close all 14 food distribution centres in Gaza —leaving half a million people without vital food aid, the UN said.

Since strikes began in Gaza on 7 October, 13 healthcare facilities have been hit.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes have damaged three facilities used for water, sanitation and hygiene, undermining services to over 400,000 in Gaza city and the Northern Area of the Gaza Strip, the UN said.

At least two Arab journalists have been killed by Israeli airstrikes on the besieged Gaza Strip, Arabic media reported on Tuesday.

Said Al-Taweel was killed after Israeli aircraft targeted a building in the western part of Gaza City early Tuesday morning, Arab media reported.

Journalist Rezq Mohammed Sobh was also killed after Israel bombed a tower in the western part of Gaza City early Tuesday morning. 

US commentator Tucker Carlson blasted senior Republicans for equating Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel with an assault on the US.

Republican primary candidate Nikki Haley said it was an attack on the US because “they hate us just as much”,  and concluded that Iran needs to be punished for it.

“Iran is behind them, finish them.”

Carlson said the threat to ‘finish Iran’—a country of almost 90 million people was the “tantrum of a child; ignorant, cocksure and bloodthirsty.”

Meanwhile, US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said the US should threaten to bomb Iranian oil refineries if Lebanese Hezbollah enters the fighting in Israel.

Carlson said Graham refused to think through what would happen if the US launched strikes on Iranian infrastructure. “He’s almost seventy years old and has no children, he doesn’t care.”