Image source, EPA

Marking two years since the Hamas-led 7 October attack and the massive military campaign that Israel launched in its aftermath, the UN's Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) has shared figures detailing the scale of devastation.

Here are a few of the UN agency's key statistics:

• Over 66,100 people reported killed, including at least 18,430 children
• Up to one million people have sheltered in Unrwa facilities, at least 845 of which were killed whilst sheltering

• Over 370 Unrwa staff have been killed
• Nearly 80% of structures across the Strip have been damaged or destroyed
• Less than 40% of hospitals remain functional, all partially
• Nearly 90% of the water and sanitation assets have been either destroyed or damaged

Gazans torn between fatigue and fading hope as war enters third yearpublished at 07:43 BST

07:43 BST

Rushdi Abualouf
Gaza correspondent, reporting from Istanbul

Image source, Reuters

Most in Gaza, including me, never imagined that the war would drag on for two full years.

Yet from the very first hours after Hamas’s unprecedented 7 October attack, many residents realised that Israel would launch a retaliatory campaign unlike any before.

In almost every conversation in Gaza, one haunting question has echoed without a clear answer: “When will the war end?”

Despite cautious signs of progress in the ongoing talks between Hamas and Israel in Egypt, few people dare to hope.

Many now describe the negotiations as perhaps the most consequential yet, a rare moment when an end to the fighting may just be within reach.

Since US President Donald Trump unveiled his latest ceasefire proposal, the dominant mood in Gaza has shifted from anger to exhaustion.

Most voices emerging from the devastated enclave now urge Hamas to accept the deal - they are simply tired of death, displacement and hunger.

There is a growing perception that Hamas has prioritised its own survival over that of its people.

That feeling has deepened the Palestinian divide that began immediately after Hamas’s 7 October attack, when criticism of the group surged and many blamed it for the unprecedented devastation that followed.

Two years on, the split is sharper than ever between Hamas loyalists who still defend the movement to the core, and a war-weary majority of Gazans who have lost patience with endless destruction and despair.

Two years since the Hamas-led 7 October attack on Israel, the fighting on the ground continues.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it has detected a missile projected into Israeli territory from northern Gaza.

It comes after sirens were heard in Netiv Haasara, in southern Israel, the Israeli army says.

No injuries have so far been reported. Hamas has yet to comment on the reports.

Alice Cuddy
Reporting from Jerusalem

Image source, EPA

I’ve been hearing from people in Gaza about what two years of war have done to their lives, and their thoughts on Trump’s peace proposal as the indirect talks continue in Egypt.

In a WhatsApp message, student Tala El Mughrabi said she lived “every day dreaming that tomorrow will be better than today”.

She said she was hopeful that Trump’s plan would result in an end to the war, but said the ongoing “sound of explosions here killed all our joy”.

“We really want the war to stop immediately and for Gaza to be rebuilt,” she wrote.

“The fear that I have is that Israel will take the hostages but keep the war going and we will keep being displaced. We want guarantees that Israel will stop this war.”

As a reminder, yesterday, as indirect talks between Hamas and Israel began, the IDF confirmed it had carried out a series of strikes on Gaza City, while the Hamas-run health ministry said a further 21 Palestinians were killed between Sunday and Monday.

We can now bring you some new pictures from the site of the former Nova Music Festival, where bereaved families and survivors have been gathering to commemorate victims.

The festival site was in the Negev desert, near Kibbutz Re'im. It was not far from the Gaza Strip, from where Hamas fighters crossed over at dawn to launch their deadly attack on 7 October 2023.

Hamas gunmen killed 360 people and kidnapped dozens more at the festival site where 3,500 people had been partying.

It has since served as a memorial for the victims and people have been gathering there throughout the morning to pay tribute.

Image source, Getty

Image source, Getty

Image source, Getty Images

There has so far been "a positive atmosphere" at peace talks between Israel and Hamas held in Egypt, according to the host country's state media.

Al-Qahera News - a news provider linked to Egyptian state intelligence - says the first round of talks ended "amid a positive atmosphere", as negotiators discussed preparing the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

The state media also reports that Egyptian and Qatari mediators are working with both sides to establish a way to achieve this.

Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent, in Jerusalem

Image source, Getty Images

These indirect talks are happening behind closed doors in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, amid tight security.

Just a month ago, Israel tried to kill Hamas’s lead negotiators in a strike on Qatar. The initial discussions – which are expected to last for several days – are said to be focused on the withdrawal of Israeli troops from parts of Gaza, and the Palestinian prisoners whom Israel will release in exchange for the hostages.

Last night, in Washington, President Trump again said a ceasefire agreement was possible: "We have a really good chance of making a deal. And it'll be a lasting deal; we want to have peace. This is beyond Gaza. Gaza's a big deal but this is really peace in the Middle East."

In Israel, the military is on a high state of alert for the second anniversary of the deadly Hamas assault, which coincides with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.

Bereaved families and survivors have begun holding memorial events. In recent days, there have been fewer Israeli air strikes in Gaza, but shelling and gunfire has continued and there have been more civilian casualties.

Image source, Getty Images

Following the first day of indirect peace talks in Egypt between Israel and Hamas, US President Donald Trump told reporters there is a '"really good chance" of a peace deal being agreed upon.

He told reporters in the Oval Office on Monday: "We have a really good chance of making a deal. And it'll be a lasting deal; we want to have peace."

Trump added that Hamas has agreed to "very important" things during the talks.

A day before the talks got under way, the US president had warned both parties to "move FAST", or risk more bloodshed.

Talks are continuing in Egypt, and you can read details of what the first day of them covered here.

As Israel marks two years since Hamas's deadly 7 October attacks, indirect talks are taking place in Egypt between delegations from, aimed at ending the war in Gaza.

Here's what you need to know:

• When did the talks start? Negotiating teams for Israel and Hamas arrived in Sharm El-Sheikh on Monday, and talks got under way a short while later
• How are they working? The delegations aren't meeting face-to-face - instead, mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the US a holding shuttle talks between both sides, aimed at striking a deal to implement the first phase of Donald Trump's 20-point plan to end the fighting in Gaza
• What's being considered? The sessions are focussed on "creating the field conditions” for the release of the remaining 48 Israeli hostages - 20 of whom are thought to be alive - in exchange for hundreds of detained Gazans, Palestinian and Egyptian officials told the BBC yesterday
• What has each side said? Israel has agreed to Trump's proposal, while Hamas has accepted some but not all of the conditions
• Are there any obstacles? This is the closest both sides have come to a deal since the war began two years ago, but there are still major sticking points that need resolving, including a hostage release structure, Israel's demand for Hamas to disarm, the future governance of Gaza and Israeli withdrawal from the territory

Image source, PA Media

As we just mentioned, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is asking students not to join pro-Palestinian protests on the second anniversary of the 7 October attack today.

In an article on the Times published today, Starmer calls it "un-British" to hold protests on the anniversary which, he says, has been used by some as a "despicable excuse to attack British Jews".

"Today, on the anniversary of the atrocities of October 7, students are once again planning protests.

"This is not who we are as a country. It's un-British to have so little respect for others. And that's before some of them decide to start chanting hatred towards Jewish people all over again."

Starmer stresses that the UK will "always stand tall and united" against those seeking to harm Jewish communities.

"Our Jewish communities have also endured rising antisemitism on our streets, in our country," he adds.

Read our full report on Starmer's message

Image source, EPA

It has been two years since Hamas's attacks on Israel on Saturday 7 October 2023 - the deadliest in its history - in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

In the aftermath, Israel immediately launched a massive campaign of air strikes on targets in Gaza, followed by a ground invasion, with the aim of destroying Hamas and freeing the hostages.

Twenty-four months on, the military action is still ongoing.

In Gaza, at least 67,160 people have been killed in Israeli attacks, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Most of its population has been repeatedly displaced, and more than 90% of homes are estimated to be damaged or destroyed.

It has been difficult to build an accurate picture of the extent of the impact of the war in Gaza.

International news outlets rely on local reporters within Gaza, as Israel does not allow foreign media, including BBC News, to send journalists into the territory since the start of the war.

Despite recent efforts towards securing peace, it remains unclear when the conflict might end.

Yesterday, indirect talks between Israel and Hamas began in Egypt aimed at securing a ceasefire in Gaza.

Their delegations - and US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators - are considering Donald Trump's 20-point peace plan. Israel has agreed to the proposals, while Hamas has accepted it in part.

Elsewhere, the UK Prime Minister is urging students not to join pro-Palestinian protests today, warning of "rising antisemitism on our streets".

Stay with us for updates on the talks in Sharm El-Sheikh, the situation in Gaza and events in Israel to mark 7 October attacks, alongside analysis from our reporters in London, the Middle East and around the world