Israel-Hamas war: Gaza death toll climbs after truce ends

Israel has told the United Nations it will not renew a visa for the top UN humanitarian aid official for Gaza and the West Bank.

Lynn Hastings, who is based in Jerusalem, has served as the deputy special coordinator for the Middle East peace process and UN humanitarian coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory for almost three years.

"We've been informed by the Israeli authorities that they would not renew the visa of Miss Hastings past its due date at some point later this month," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

In late October, the Israeli Foreign Ministry criticized Hastings sharply on X, formerly Twitter, saying: "According to UN ethics, she is supposed to be impartial and objective, but unfortunately she is neither.

"Hastings' dangerous rhetoric endangers innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians," the ministry wrote.

Dujarric did not mention the Israeli Foreign Ministry but said Hastings had faced some "public attacks" online that "were utterly unacceptable." 

"The secretary-general is full of confidence in Ms. Hastings, the way she's conducted herself and the way she's done her, her work, being the humanitarian coordinator in the occupied Palestinian territory is challenging work, to say the least, both in terms of the humanitarian situation — and the political situation," he added. 

Israel did not immediately respond to Dujarric's remarks. 

The United States said Israel would allow some humanitarian assistance to flow again into Gaza.

Trucks carrying aid through Egypt's Rafah border crossing were prevented from entering Gaza when hostilities with Hamas resumed on Friday morning.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby, however, said the US asked Israel to allow aid to resume and it looks like deliveries would be allowed after stringent inspections.

But he also said that the number of deliveries would likely be reduced.

"We want to see it restored at the level it had risen to during the pause," he said.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli government.

Health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza said at least 178 people had been killed by late Friday afternoon after the seven-day pause in fighting  ended. 

Officials said there were also 589 injuries recorded during the day.

DW cannot independently verify death tolls in the war.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they had struck more than 200 Hamas targets after fighting resumed. 

IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee wrote in Arabic on X, formerly Twitter, that airstrikes were carried out in Gaza's north and south, including in Khan Younis and Rafah.

The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said it had fired several barrages of rockets toward Israel. 

Qatar, a key mediator in the war, said it was committed to continuing efforts alongside its partners to secure another truce. 

"Continuous bombardment of Gaza complicates mediation efforts and exacerbates humanitarian catastrophe," said Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in comments carried by the Reuters news agency.

The head of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, has said his organization was "beyond 'concerned' that NO humanitarian aid has been allowed into Gaza today."

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said he predicted "very sad days ahead."

"Israeli Forces resumed military operations, many will be displaced including [those] seeking refuge in already crowded UNRWA shelters," he said.

Lazzarini's comments are in line with warnings from other humanitarian organizations working in Gaza, such as the International Rescue Committee, which said the return of fighting would "wipe out even the minimal relief" provided by the truce and "prove catastrophic for Palestinian civilians."

The Palestinian Red Crescent has said more than 1,000 trucks delivered aid during the weeklong pause in fighting. Of those, 310 had made it to the hard-hit north.