The toll of children killed from the three-week Israeli bombing campaign in Gaza has soared past 3,000. At the same time, large protests swept several countries in favour of Palestine and called for an immediate ceasefire.
With an intensified bombing campaign continuing incessantly, the Palestinian Health Ministry said that the total number of casualties has soared past 8,000. Of these, 3,324 fatalities were were children. Men accounted for 2,617 fatalities, and women accounted for 2,064 fatalities. Of those martyred, 460 were senior citizens over 60 years of age.
At the same time, the number of injured has surged past 20,242. This includes 8,294 men, 6,801 children and 5,147 women.
So far, the three-week conflict has claimed more children in Gaza than all children who were martyred in violent conflicts taking place across the world since 2019.
"Three weeks of violence have ripped children from families and torn through their lives at an unimaginable rate. The numbers are harrowing, and with violence not only continuing but expanding in Gaza right now, many more children remain at grave risk," said Save the Children Country Director in the occupied Palestinian territory Jason Lee.
"One child’s death is one too many, but these are grave violations of epic proportions. A ceasefire is the only way to ensure their safety. The international community must put people before politics – every day spent debating is leaving children killed and injured. Children must be protected at all times, especially when they are seeking safety in schools and hospitals."
Gazan authorities said that Israel bombed areas in the vicinity of the Indonesian Hospital and the Al Quds Hospital. Both hospitals are not just catering to thousands of patients but also refugees who are sheltering there.
With few bakeries left, long queues were seen outside them.
While all communications, including phones and the internet, were cut on Friday evening, they returned gradually on Sunday. Egypt's biggest telecommunication firm said it would enhance coverage into Gaza to provide connectivity.
StarLink and Tesla owner Elon Musk, when reached out by users on social media site 'X' (formerly Twitter), said he would provide connections to legitimate humanitarian organisations such as the UN in Gaza.
Hamas, meanwhile, said it continues to battle Israeli ground forces, especially northwest of Gaza and towards the west along the coast, facing the Mediterranean.
Israel said that it had started a new stage in the war with ground incursions.
The incursions came as Hamas leaders, in a video statement, again offered to exchange prisoners with Israel in exchange for 5,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Hamas offered that Israel can either negotiate in one fell swoop or a staggered release. They confirmed that at least 50 hostages were killed in the Israeli bombing.
Addressing the Arab and the larger Muslim world, they said that they did not expect support or for them to rise and fight their fight, but what was stopping them from sending aid?
West Bank settler activity surges
In the West Bank, where sporadic violence has continued even as a war raged on in Gaza, the Bedouin village of Wadi al-Seeq, around 10 kilometres East of Ramallah, was evacuated of 200 residents after a group of Israeli settlers, soldiers, and Israeli police gave them an hour to leave.
The evacuated Bedouins said that they were paying for what was happening in Gaza.
The OCHA says that since October 7, some 607 people, more than half of them children, have been displaced in the West Bank. In the 18 months prior, some 1,100 people were forced off their lands in the West Bank by settlers.
Protests
Many cities across the world continued to reverberate with protests in favour of Palestine.
The Jamaat-e-Islami staged a large protest in Islamabad in favour of Palestine.
JI Ameer Sirajul Haq said that the Western nations backing Israel were supporting the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
He urged the government to step up efforts to send aid to Palestinians.
Protests were also held in Madrid, London and New York.
In Madrid, around 35,000 pro-Palestinian protesters raised the Palestinian flags while cries of "Freedom for Palestine" rang out. Demonstrators held up signs that read "Fair peace", "Flames don't lie" and "Don't ignore the Palestinian suffering".
The protest was also attended by Spain's acting Labour Minister, Yolanda Diaz, as she echoed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
In London, thousands of protesters flooded the Westminister bridge.
In New York, thousands of pro-Palestinians walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to voice their anger at the violence in the Middle East. Thousands of left-wing Jews have been staging protests in New York, which is home to some 1.6-2 million Jews.
Protesters waved Palestinian flags and held up placards reading "Free Palestine" and "By any means necessary".
The Brooklyn bridge march came a day after protesters had staged a sit in at New York's Grand Central Station. Police had arrested some 200 protesters.
Israel mobilises 'NILI' unit
Israeli media on Sunday said that they had mobilised a special security and intelligence unit to hunt down the Hamas leaders who orchestrated the October 7 attack.
Their primary target would be the commanders of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades who led the October 7 attacks. But they are also likely to target those not in Gaza but elsewhere in the region.