Summary

  • Israel's military says it has "completed the encirclement of Gaza City" and has been attacking outposts, headquarters and other Hamas infrastructures

  • The UN says four schools-turned-shelters in the Gaza Strip have been damaged in the past 24 hours

  • The UN's agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, says 20 people are reportedly dead at a school in the Jabalia refugee camp

  • Schools at the Beach refugee camp, and the Al Bureij camp, were also damaged, with three reported deaths

  • Israel has carried out thousands of strikes on Gaza since 7 October - the UN did not attribute blame for the damaged schools, but called for a ceasefire

  • Israel began its operation after Hamas killed more than 1,400 people in Israel and kidnapped more than 200 others

  • Israel's military says it's targeting Hamas infrastructure, including tunnels and rocket launchers, and is minimising civilian deaths

  • The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than 9,000 people have been killed in the Strip since 7 October

Live Reporting

Edited by Matt Murphy

  1. The key headlines of the day

    Palestinians search for casualties at the site of Israeli strike in Jabalia refugee campReuters

    Palestinians search for casualties at the site of Israeli strike in Jabalia

    If you're just joining us, here’s a recap of some of the main developments from the past 24 hours:

    Israeli strike at Jabalia

    • Israel's military confirmed its jets carried out an attack in Jabalia in Gaza, and says this killed a senior Hamas commander and caused the collapse of Hamas underground infrastructure
    • Images from the scene showed large craters and levelled buildings. Several pictures appeared to show dead or seriously injured children
    • The number of people killed in the strike is unclear - Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says at least 50 were killed, the Palestine Red Crescent Society puts the death toll at 25. A doctor in Gaza told the BBC his hospital had received 120 dead

    Elsewhere

    • Tanks and armoured vehicles are moving steadily towards Gaza City - where the Israeli military says Hamas has a network of tunnels used as a command and control centre
    • Houthi fighters in Yemen - hundreds of miles south-east of Israel - said they have launched a "large number" of ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel
    • The World Health Organization said a "public health catastrophe" was imminent in Gaza, as Unicef warned Gaza had only 5% of its normal daily water output, with infant deaths from dehydration "a growing threat"
    • Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 8,500 people have been killed since Israel's retaliatory bombing began following the 7 October Hamas attacks, which killed 1,400 and saw at least 239 hostages kidnapped from Israel
    • The Israeli military said 300 targets were hit over the last dayin both air strikes and ground attacks. They said the military was “striking in all parts of the Gaza Strip” and reiterated that Israel was doing everything it could to avoid killing civilians

  2. Welcome

    Brandon Livesay
    Live reporter

    Israeli army flares illuminate the sky over northern Gaza City, 31 October 2023.EPA

    It’s just after 02:00 in Gaza but the sky continues to be lit up by the bright flashes of air strikes.

    We’ve recently heard from an Israeli military spokesman who said Tuesday’s strike on Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip targeted senior Hamas commander Ibrahim Biari.

    The Israeli military says the attack killed “multiple dozens” of Hamas fighters and destroyed an underground tunnel network.

    We’ve been reporting on the attack since it happened and have seen graphic images of an impact crater, as well as images that appeared to show dead and injured children.

    The Hamas-run health ministry says at least 50 people were killed and the Palestine Red Crescent Society puts the death toll at 25.

    Stay with us as we continue to bring you the latest updates and analysis.