More than 2,000 children have been killed in Israeli air strikes since Oct 7: What do we know about day 18

704 Palestinians killed in last 24 hours

The health ministry in the besieged enclave reports that Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours have killed 704 in Gaza.

More than 19,000 displaced in Lebanon after border clashes

The Israel-Palestine escalation has spread beyond borders. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported the displacement of 19,646 people while the United Nations has also estimated that more than 19,000 have been internally displaced in Lebanon after October 7 amid cross-border attacks.

Friction between Hezbollah and the Israeli military is also feared to escalate.

Killing of children

Among the 5,087 people killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7, more than 2,000 of them are children, the health ministry in the besieged enclave states.

Between Sunday and Monday alone, 182 children were killed among the total of 436 Palestinians.

Six more UN staff killed in Israeli bombing

The UN Relief and Works Agency has lost six more staff members in Israeli bombing of Gaza, taking the death toll to 35.

Occupied West Bank

96 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces since October 7 and settlers while at least 1,800 have been wounded.

Israel claims to have detained 500 Palestinians, allegedly linked to Hamas.

Similarly, almost 1,500 people are trapped under the rubble in Gaza and rescue teams are unable to rescue all as Israel continues to target medical teams while authorities lack necessary equipment.

Gaza not receiving enough relief supplies

According to the UN, only 54 trucks with relief supplies have been allowed into Gaza since Saturday.

Tamara al-Rifai, communications chief of the United Nations Palestine refugee relief agency UNRWA, deemed it as a drop in the ocean.

He also highlights that fuel for generators has not been sent in the shipments whereas rice and lentils delivered cannot be cooked without the water and gas which are needed for cooking.

Obama on Israel

Former President Obama issued a new statement on Israel-Palestine escalation.

In his statement, Obama condemns the October 7 attacks launched by Hamas, calling it an “unspeakable brutality” and supports Israel’s right to defend itself but under “international law.”

“But even as we support Israel, we should also be clear that how Israel prosecutes this fight against Hamas matters. In particular, it matters — as President Biden has repeatedly emphasized — that Israel’s military strategy abides by international law, including those laws that seek to avoid, to every extent possible, the death or suffering of civilian populations,” Obama wrote.

Obama also warns that blocking supplies into Gaza can put support for Israel at risk.

“The Israeli government’s decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis; it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel’s enemies, and undermine long term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region,” he wrote.

Obama further stresses on dismissing antisemitic, anti-Muslim, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian narratives. And while he believes that Israel has “every right to exist,” he also notes that Palestinians have “also lived in disputed territories for generations.”

“But if we care about keeping open the possibility of peace, security and dignity for future generations of Israeli and Palestinian children — as well as for our own children — then it falls upon all of us to at least make the effort to model, in our own words and actions, the kind of world we want them to inherit,” he concluded.

Macron arrives in Israel on ‘solidarity’ visit

The French president Emmaneul Macron also paid a visit to Tel Aviv to “express” France’s “solidarity” with Israel.

Referring to October 7 attacks by Hamas, the President stated that “what happened will never be forgotten.”

On the other hand, Israeli President Isaac Herzog asserts that his country is committed to “destroying” its adversaries, adding that, “We demand the immediate release of all our citizens,”

Shedding light on Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah, he stated that “We are following very closely the situation,”, adding that Lebanon was “playing with fire”.

“If Hezbollah drags us into a war it should be clear that Lebanon will pay the price”.

Credits: Al Jazeera