Israel's war in Gaza has brought famine with "such incredible speed," the United Nations’ relief chief said Monday, as he warned that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are starving in the besieged enclave.
The "great majority" of 400,000 Gazans characterized by UN agencies as at risk of starving "are actually in famine, not just at risk of famine," UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths told CNN.
Israel’s relentless bombing of Gaza in response to Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks has killed more than 24,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, and wrought widespread devastation, as civilians live with the threat of imminent death — either by an airstrike, starvation or disease.
Here's the latest updates:
- Hostage videos: Israel said Monday that Hamas is carrying out "psychological torment" after the militant group released a third video in the space of 24 hours featuring the same three hostages being held in Gaza, the last of which appears to show two of the captives dead. Israel believes more than 100 hostages remain alive in Gaza.
- Ramming attacks: Twin vehicle ramming attacks in the central Israeli city of Raanana killed one person and injured at least 17, authorities said. Israeli police said two suspects held in custody were residents of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. Hamas said the attacks were a "natural response" to Israeli aggression against Palestinians.
- Houthi strike: A Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile struck a US-owned on Monday, US Central Command said. The Yemeni militant group claimed responsibility for the strike against the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, which appears to be the first time the Houthis have successfully struck a US-owned or operated ship, raising the stakes in the Red Sea after Washington vowed that further Houthi launches would be met with a response.
- Iran attacks: Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Monday launched ballistic missiles at what it said was a spy base for Israel’s intelligence agency Mossad in northern Iraq, and at "anti-Iran terror groups" in Syria, in the latest escalation of hostilities that further risks spiraling into a wider regional conflict. The US condemned the strikes as "reckless" and imprecise.
- Israel's military operation: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its latest air raids killed two militants in Gaza's southern city of Khan Younis, and that it struck two weapons storage facilities, alongside "Hamas operational infrastructure" in the area. In northern Gaza, the IDF said it killed five militants who attempted to locate weapons in an area where Israeli forces had been operating.
- Egyptian border clash: An Israeli soldier was wounded during an exchange of fire along the southern border with Egypt after about 20 unidentified people, some of them armed, approached the boundary, the Israeli military said. Several suspects were also hit in the incident, the IDF said.