Posted on 12 October 2023
On October 7 an attack on Israel ensued from the militant group Hamas, killing 900 people and wounding hundreds more. Israel retaliated with air strikes on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 700 and wounding more.
Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, declared on X that “Israel is at war” with Hamas. Netanyahu has urged Palestinians to leave Gaza, as airstrikes on Gaza become more frequent, however there is nowhere for them to go. Over half a million people are now displaced in Gaza and access to aid is limited. Israel officially declared a siege as of 9 October.
The Indonesian Government urged people residing in Israel and Gaza to return to Indonesia as soon as possible as bombings become more frequent and conflicts escalate throughout the regions. Canada has issued a statement informing citizens living in Israel that they will be able to return home via a military aircraft. Germany has chartered Lufthansa to evacuate its citizens who want to leave on Thursday and Friday. There are up to 4,500 Germans living in Israel.
Fiji's Defence Minister, Pio Tikoduadua,announced a Fiji Airways flight has now left Tel Aviv containing 200 citizens from Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and US.
Secretary General António Guterres, has emphasised the urgent need for aid within Gaza and says that the UN will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. He has also condemned the Hamas attack on Israel. Guterres also stated that he is “deeply alarmed by reports of over 500 Palestinians -- including women and children -- killed in Gaza and over 3,000 injured. Unfortunately, these numbers are rising by the minute as Israeli operations continue.” The UN has urged people to remember that the priority should be protecting citizens, not escalating the conflict.