Recap: Electricity cuts in Gaza, mounting death tolls and Tel Aviv building collapse

Good evening Middle East Eye readers. 

It is now around 15 hours since Palestinians launched a surprise attack on Israel from Gaza. 

Here are some of the latest developments since our last recap.

- Israel’s health ministry has reported that at least 200 Israelis have died since Hamas launched its attack in early this morning. Meanwhile, 1,452 people are wounded.

- At least 232 Palestinians have been killed and over 1,697 wounded in Israeli air strikes on Gaza, the Palestinian health ministry has said.

- The Gaza Strip is in a total blackout after Israel’s energy minister announced plans to cut power to the Gaza Strip. Health officials in Gaza warn that this could cause serious health consequences. 

- Rockets fired by Hamas have caused a building in Tel Aviv to collapse, while the Israeli army says they have regained control of the key Reim military base.

- Scores of Palestinian civilians have been displaced after Israeli fighter jets bombed a high-rise residential building. Hospitals have also been targeted. 

- Israeli fighter jets reportedly struck the house of Yahya al-Sinwar, Hamas’s leader in Gaza, although the details surrounding the attack are not yet clear. 

- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, rival National Unity party Benny Gantz and opposition leader Yair Lapid have expressed that they are willing to form an "emergency government" in the face of the attacks. 

The death tolls on both sides are expected to rise, and Palestinians have already started bracing for a full-blown war by stocking up on essentials and seeking shelter in schools. 

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