Live Updates - Israel-Hamas War Rages As Gaza Awaits Aid in Worsening Conditions

10/20/23, 11:01 PM Live updates: Israel-Hamas war rages as Gaza awaits aid in worsening conditions
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'We are just kids. We can't fight': What life is like in Gaza and Israel 03:08
L I V E U P DAT E S
Israel-Hamas war rages as Gaza awaits aid in

worsening conditions
By Tara Subramaniam, Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Aditi Sangal and Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN
Updated 10:54 a.m. ET, October 20, 2023
What we're covering

▪ Conditions on the ground in Gaza are deteriorating by the hour as Israeli strikes pound the
Palestinian enclave and aid agencies warn hospitals are almost out of fuel.
https://edition.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-10-20-23/index.html 1/13
▪ Protests against
WorldIsrael’s siege of Gaza are taking place in cities throughout theAudio
Middle East
on Friday, as a group of UN independent experts said the lack of access to aid is resulting in
"crimes against humanity."
▪ The first convoy carrying humanitarian supplies from Egypt won't cross until Saturday at the
earliest, US sources told CNN, as the World Health Organization warned that much more aid
than what has been agreed upon would be required.
▪ The majority of hostages seized by Hamas on October 7 are still alive in Gaza, the Israeli
military says. Meanwhile, the defense minister told Israeli troops massed at the border that
they would soon see the enclave "from the inside."
▪ Here's how to help humanitarian efforts in Israel and Gaza.
All Catch Up
42 Posts SORT BY Latest
7 min ago
Son blames Israel for "big failure" and calls on countries to help
free his father and other Hamas hostages
From CNN's Lianne Kolirin
Alex Dancyg, a world authority on Holocaust history, is believed to have been taken hostage
from the kibbutz of Nir Oz by Hamas during the October 7 attacks. His son says the 75-year-old
has a serious heart condition, and called for other countries to pressure Hamas to release its
hostages.
“I’m worried about his health without medication,” Matty Dancyg, 46, told CNN on a phone call.
“I’m worried about what conditions he’s being held in. It’s so terrible. Maybe it’s better to be
dead in this situation.”
He called the terror attacks and hostage-taking by the militant group a "very big failure" for the
Israeli government and army, saying this "never should have happened."
"The only way to stop this horrible situation is to put pressure from the outside — it’s our only
hope. I don’t have either hope or trust in the government of Israel," he said. "I hope that the
countries of the free world will put enough pressure on Hamas to bring the hostages back."
Some background: Born in Poland to Holocaust survivors in 1948, Dancyg has dedicated his
World Audio
life to Holocaust and Polish Jewish history, according to his son. “He’s one of the biggest
experts in this field," Matty said. "He has thousands of students around Israel and Poland, and
in Poland he’s a very well-known teacher and person with a lot of friends.”
It took eight hours for the Israel Defense Forces to arrive, Matty said as he recalled the
"terrifying hours" that he, his wife and three daughters spent sheltering as Hamas moved "from
house to house, without anyone to stop them."
“There was no one there to protect us, so every minute I was looking at my daughters and I
thought this would be the last minute I would see them,” he said. “It’s like a piece of the
Holocaust came back from the past to strike again.”
While he described his father’s captors as “monsters,” he does not believe that ordinary
Palestinians are to blame.
"Not all Palestinians are terrorists," he said. "They’re just simple human beings who want to live
their lives like me. They are all hostages of this organization and most of them are just regular
people who just want to live."
“I think they should get humanitarian aid and the hostages should get it. It’s a very complicated
situation,” he added.
25 min ago
There's been a jump in civilians requesting firearm licenses,

Israeli Ministry of National Security says
From CNN's Hadas Gold
World Audio
A man walks with a gun while holding a woman's hand near memorial candles laid next to the “We Stand With Israel” memorial
display in Tel Aviv, Israel, on October 20. Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images
The Israeli Ministry of National Security has recorded a jump in civilians in the country applying
to obtain a private firearms license, according to a news release by the ministry.
“A jump of hundreds percent in requests to carry private firearms: since the beginning of
hostilities, approximately 100,000 civilians have requested to obtain a license,” the statement
said.
The ministry sees this number of requests, on average over the span of two years, said David
Weizman, head of the Firearms Inspection and Enforcement Division at the Ministry of National
Security.
“With the outbreak of hostilities," the ministry said it “significantly increased the scope of
activity for issuing licenses.”
38 min ago
UN chief World
and several leaders will meet at summit in Egypt
Audio on
Saturday
From CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks during the Arab League's "Summit for Jerusalem" in Cairo, Egypt, on February
12. Ahmad Hassan/AFP/Getty Images
Egypt said it is preparing a peace summit scheduled for Saturday, with regional and
international leaders invited to participate, in a bid to de-escalate the conflict and protect
civilians in Gaza.
Leaders from Qatar, Turkey, Greece, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi
Arabia, Iraq and Cyprus have confirmed attendance, according to state news.
In addition, a Palestinian leader, the United Nations secretary general and the Arab League
secretary general have also confirmed attendance, it said.
Separately, Japan
Worldconfirmed that its Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa will also beAudio
at the
summit.
Earlier Friday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock's office said she is extending her
Middle East trip to attend the summit as well.
CNN"s Junko Ogura in Tokyo contributed reporting to this post.
1 hr 37 min ago
Iran's military chief warns the US over sending weapons to

Israel, state media says
From CNN’s Adam Pourahmadi in Abu Dhabi
Iranian Armed Forces Chief of Staff, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, looks on during a military exercise in Isfahan, Iran, in
this handout image obtained on September 8, 2022. Iranian Army/WANA/Reuters
Iran warned the US about the consequences of sending weapons to Israel, saying
World it would
Audio
further complicate the situation in Gaza, according to Iran's state-aligned news outlet Tasnim.
“The widespread support of the United States including sending weapons and ammunition
to the Zionist regime is considered as participation by the American government in the
crimes of the Zionist regime. It further complicates the situation in Gaza,” Iranian Armed
Forces chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Bagheri said during a telephone call with Turkey’s
defense minister Yasar Guler on Friday.
Bagheri also said that “serious action” is needed to prevent war crimes and called for
humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza, Tasnim reported.
2 hr 34 min ago
7 Gaza hospitals are "out of service," Palestinian Ministry of

Health says
From CNN's Eyad Kourdi
Seven hospitals and 21 primary care health centers in Gaza are "out of service," and 64 medical
staff have been killed as Israel continues its airstrikes, a spokesperson for the Palestinian
Ministry of Health said Friday.
"Due to the Israeli violations, seven hospitals are out of service and 21 Primary Health care
centers as well. 64 medical staff were killed and 23 ambulances were destroyed," said the
health ministry spokesperson Dr. Ashraf Al-Qidra.
CNN cannot independently verify the extent of the casualties.
On Thursday, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a statement that
more than 60% of primary care facilities are shut down, and hospitals in Gaza are on the brink
of collapse due to the shortage of power, medicine, equipment and specialized personnel.
2 hr 25 min ago
Shortages are leaving Gaza hospitals on the brink of collapse.

Here's what you need to know
From CNN staff
World Audio
Conditions in Gaza are worsening by the hour as fears continue to grow over a catastrophic
humanitarian crisis unfolding in the enclave.
Multiple rights groups are warning of the deadly consequences of ongoing shortages in the
Gaza Strip and urging for vital supplies to be allowed through the Rafah crossing.
Here’s where things stand:
▪ Hostages in Gaza: Israel's military says a majority of the hostages in Gaza are alive. While it
is still unclear exactly how many people are still being held there, the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF) said it had been able to reduce the number of missing, initially thought to be around
3,000 on the first day of the war, to between 100 and 200 on Friday as they have confirmed
people’s locations. More than 20 of the hostages are under the age of 18 and between 10
and 20 of those held are over the age of 60, according to the latest update from the IDF on
Friday.
▪ Rafah crossing: Fears are mounting that life-saving aid destined for Gaza will be still stuck in
Egypt for another day. Around 200 trucks carrying vital aid are queuing outside the closed
border as officials work toward an agreement to open the gates. Negotiations continued
through Thursday as workers repaired roads to allow up to 20 trucks to pass in an initial
delivery. Despite expectations voiced by US President Joe Biden that the crossing would be
opened Friday, US officials now expect that the first convoy will cross the border this
weekend.
▪ Gaza death toll: The number of those killed since October 7 in the Gaza Strip has climbed to
4,127, including 1,661 children, according to a spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of
Health in Gaza. An additional 13,162 people have been injured, spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qidra
said. Separately, 81 Palestinians have died in the occupied West Bank since October 7, the
health ministry has also said.
▪ Aid to Israel: Biden made an impassioned appeal to the American people for support in
Israel's war with Hamas — as well as for Ukraine — as his administration was poised to
request $105 billion in funding from Congress Friday. The aid package request includes $14
billion for Israel, which officials say reflects requests Biden received while traveling to the
region earlier this week.
▪ Fresh protests: A wave of further demonstrations against Israel’s siege of Gaza are expected
across much of the Middle East on Friday. Egypt’s state-aligned political parties and
institutions have called for nationwide protests in Egypt on Friday in support of Palestinians, a
rare moment during a decade of strict anti-protest laws.
Sign up for CNN’s

WorldMeanwhile in the Middle East, a three-times-a-week newsletter
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explores the region’s biggest stories.
2 hr 21 min ago
UN human rights group calls for "rapid and unimpeded passage"

of humanitarian aid for all civilians
From CNN’s Alex Hardie and Caitlin Danaher in London
The office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in a statement Friday implored all
parties "to allow the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for all civilians in
need, wherever they are."
A spokesperson for the human rights group expressed concern about continuing Israeli strikes
across Gaza, including in the south.
"Strikes, coupled with extremely difficult living conditions in the south, appear to have
pushed some to return to the north, despite the continuing heavy bombing there," the
statement said.
It also expressed concern about the rockets being fired from Gaza into Israel and the alarm at
the "rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in the occupied West Bank and the increase in
unlawful use of lethal force.”
Citing reports of ill-treatment and lack of due process, it called for the end of "arbitrary arrests
of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Arab Israelis in Israel."
2 hr 59 min ago
Shortages in Gaza “are going to kill many, many people,” says

US head of Doctors Without Borders
From CNN's Alex Hardie
World Audio
Ambulances carrying victims of Israeli strikes crowd the entrance to the emergency ward of the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City
on October 15. Dawood Nemer/AFP/Getty Images
Utility shortages in Gaza “are going to kill many, many people,” said Avril Benoît, executive
director of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) also known as Doctors Without Borders.
Benoît told CNN that it often loses contact with its team in the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza due to
lack of electricity, inability to charge phones and cell signal often being cut out, making it
“difficult to get real-time information.”
“What we do know is our medical coordinator was warning that the fuel was reaching
catastrophic lows,” she said.
Benoît added that there is a lack of painkillers, something which she said has “been going on
for quite a time.”
“There’s a real shortage of anesthesia. And again, those surgical teams are going to
have to ration. They are going to have to choose who gets it and who doesn’t, who
gets the lifesaving surgery, who doesn’t," she said.
People in Gaza are “exhausted, including the medical teams who have been working
Audioaround
World
the clock,” Benoît said. “Everyone is dehydrated, malnourished, hungry,” she said. “It’s really a
difficult circumstance in which to be able to even focus on a mass casualty response that’s
needed.”
“It’s absolutely life or death at this point. Hour by hour it’s essential for that humanitarian
assistance to be brought in,” Benoît continued. “We are deeply concerned for the fate of
everyone who happens to be in Gaza right now, where nowhere is safe.”
3 hr 22 min ago
Dozens of bodies of terror attack victims still to be recovered

from Gaza border, Israeli aid agency says
From CNN's Ivana Kottasová
The charred remains of kibbutz Be’eri, Israel, on October 20. Ivana Kottasova
World Audio
Dozens of bodies of victims of the October 7 Hamas terror attack are still lying near Israel’s
border with the Gaza Strip, a search and rescue volunteer told CNN in Be’eri, an Israeli kibbutz
that was attacked close to the border.
They have not been recovered yet because of rocket attacks by Hamas from Gaza, said Yossi
Landau, the head of the southern command of ZAKA, the Israeli volunteer-run emergency
rescue service.
The group has been working non-stop trying to retrieve the bodies of the victims of the
massacre last week. More are found and identified every day, he said.
Rocket attacks continue to be launched from the Gaza Strip toward Israel, even as the Israel
Defense Forces continue to pound the enclave with heavy strikes.
Smoke rising from the Gaza Strip is visible from kibbutz Be’eri,
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10/20/23, 11:01 PM Live updates: Israel-Hamas war rages as Gaza awaits aid in worsening conditions

World Audio Log In

Israel-Hamas war rages as Gaza awaits aid in

Updated 10:54 a.m. ET, October 20, 2023

What we're covering

▪ Here's how to help humanitarian efforts in Israel and Gaza.

42 Posts SORT BY Latest

There's been a jump in civilians requesting firearm licenses,

CNN"s Junko Ogura in Tokyo contributed reporting to this post.

Iran's military chief warns the US over sending weapons to

7 Gaza hospitals are "out of service," Palestinian Ministry of

CNN cannot independently verify the extent of the casualties.

Shortages are leaving Gaza hospitals on the brink of collapse.

Here’s where things stand:

Sign up for CNN’s

UN human rights group calls for "rapid and unimpeded passage"

Shortages in Gaza “are going to kill many, many people,” says

Dozens of bodies of terror attack victims still to be recovered

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