Israel-Hamas conflict: What you need to know on Day 4

CONFLICT

• Israel continued its blockade of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday (Oct 10), pounding the enclave of 2.3 million people with the fiercest air strikes in the 75-year history of its conflict with the Palestinians. The bombardment has razed whole districts to dust, striking schools as well as residential and United Nations buildings. The onslaught is part of its vow of "mighty vengeance" after Hamas militants rampaged through southern Israeli towns on Saturday, gunning down or abducting civilians.
• Israel has called up an unprecedented 300,000 reservists, stoking fears that it may be planning a ground assault. This would risk close-quarters fighting in densely populated areas, including in underground tunnels anfd around hostages. Israel's airports authority said El Al and Israir Airlines have added more flights to bring back reservists to the country.
• Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif is said to be the designer of the Qassam rocket, of which Hamas claimed more than 5,000 were fired into Israel since the start of the incursion. 
• The United Nations human rights chief said Israel’s total siege of the Gaza Strip, depriving civilians of goods essential for survival, is banned under international law. "The obligation to take constant care to spare the civilian population and civilian objects remains applicable throughout the attacks," Volker Turk said in a statement.
• The World Health Organization has called for a humanitarian corridor to be established into and out of Gaza in order to channel critical medical supplies. "Hospitals cannot run without fuel, without electricity," said a spokesperson. 
• Hamas said it would execute an Israeli captive for every Israeli bombing of a civilian house and would not negotiate over hostages "under fire". The US said this threat must be taken seriously given the "barbarity" of the militant group. 
• A Hamas spokesperson has told residents of Israel's port of Ashkelon to leave the area by 2pm GMT (10pm Singapore time). No further details were provided. 
• Israel and Lebanon trade border fire for the third day. The latest border exchange comes after Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed three Hezbollah members. Hezbollah had on Sunday fired artillery shells and guided missiles at Israel, "in solidarity" with attacks launched from Gaza by its ally Hamas.

HUMANITARIAN COST

• Israeli media said Hamas fighters killed more than 900 people since their unprecedented weekend attack, including about 260 at a desert music festival. More than 2,000 civilians have been wounded. 
• On the Gaza side, health officials said at least 830 people had been killed and more than 4,250 wounded.
• Separately, an Israeli army spokesperson said the bodies of about 1,500 Hamas fighters have been found in Israel around the Gaza Strip. 
• Many foreigners have been killed in the attack, including 18 Thais, a Cambodian student, 11 US citizens and two French nationals.
• Dozens of foreigners are missing. The Philippines ambassador to Israel said on Tuesday that five citizens were unaccounted for, with one of them possibly abducted. France's foreign ministry said a 12-year-old is among 14 of its nationals missing. President Joe Biden said the US is working with their Israeli counterparts on "every aspect" of the hostage crisis. 
• Thailand's government is working to evacuate thousands of citizens away from the conflict.
• More than 187,500 people have been displaced in the Gaza Strip since Hamas’ assault on Saturday, according to the United Nations, who added that the total is separate from about 3,000 Palestinians who were displaced from previous escalations. 

GLOBAL REACTION AND DIPLOMACY

• The US, which already provides Israel with US$3.8 billion in military assistance each year, is giving extra security help but has no intention of sending troops. "There's no intention to put US boots on the ground," said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. 
• The European Union has backtracked on an announcement that aid to Palestinians had been suspended, after member countries complained that the bloc's executive had overstepped the mark.
• Iran has denied any involvement in Hamas’ shock attack despite its strong support for the Palestinian militant group. However, its top authority Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hailed what he called Israel's "irreparable" military and intelligence defeat.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin said the explosion of violence showed the failure of US policy in the Middle East. He added that the US had sought to "monopolise" international efforts at forging peace, and accused Washington of neglecting to seek compromises that would be acceptable to both sides.

KEY QUOTES

• Senior US defence official: "This is ISIS-level savagery that we have seen committed against Israeli civilians - houses burned to the ground, young people massacred at music festivals."
• Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: "We kiss the hands of those who planned the attack on the Zionist regime."
• Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant: "We are battling beastly people and we are conducting ourselves accordingly."
• Israeli Major General Itai Veruv: "It's not a war, it's not a battlefield. It's a massacre."
• French President Emmanuel Macron: "The blackmail by Hamas after its terrorist acts is odious and unacceptable."
• German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock: "To the Palestinian leadership we say clearly: Distance yourself from this terror."
• Palestinian in Gaza: "This is my fifth war. The war should stop. I don't want to keep feeling this."