TRANSCRIPT
It has now been four days since the fighting started, and the war between Israel and Hamas has now claimed at least 1,900 lives. On the Israeli side, civilians are now sharing their stories.
According to Israel's embassy in the United States, at least 1,000 Israeli were killed in the initial attack perpetrated by Hamas militants, plus more injured and an unknown number captured and held hostages.
An Israeli couple who survived the attack that was launched on their Kibbutz in Southern Israel hid with their baby in a shelter for 21 hours until they were rescued by Israeli troops.
"We're still processing it. There's no going back from this. How can we go back to live in that beautiful place when we know what happened there and all the people that we knew that we saw on the pavements every day going from the kindergarten and back then, how can we just keep going on like nothing ever happened? And at this point, I'm in a numb state and I'm just disconnected from everything."
On the other side, Gaza is now under siege.
Israel claims it has regained control of the border and cut electricity, and is prevetning food, water or fuel from being allowed in the region.
The Israeli miliary has bombarded Gaza with the heaviest air strikes in the 75-year history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. According to Gaza's health ministry, at least 830 people were killed in the retaliation.
The fate of children in the conflict is especially distressing.
Images of Israeli children taken hostage and suffering abuse are now emerging. And Palestinian children have also been killed in Israeli airstrikes.
Jason Lee is country director of Save the Children in the Gaza Strip:
“Palestinian children that have been killed is 140 and that is out of 770 people. Now, we haven’t got the breakdown of Israeli side because the Israeli Ministry of Health hasn’t released the breakdown, they have latest known that today 900 people civilians have been killed"
An Australian citizen has also been confirmed among the victims in Israel.
The Federal Government has confirmed a Sydney-born woman has been killed by Hamas.
Galit Carbone [[car-boh-nee]] was executed at a kibbutz just kilometres from the Gaza Strip
Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil reacts.
"This is heartbreaking news this morning for the family of this particular individual, her community here in Australia, and I'm sure I speak on behalf of Jane too when I say our hearts absolutely go out to her. What has happened here is a senseless act of violence that will beget only more violence and the Australian government condemns it in the strongest possible terms."
The federal government has offered its condolences and considers rescue flights for Australian citizens.
As the conflict becomes the focus of the world, the United States is reacting. President Joe Biden has decided to send Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region, a strong sign, as Mr Blinken is the country's top diplomat.
He is expected to arrive on Thursday, and according to the State Department will deliver a message of solidarity and support, and discuss how the U-S can assist.
Washington also confirmed that American citizens are being held hostage by Hamas and they are sharing intelligence with Israel to help with hostage recovery efforts.
"This was an act of sheer evil. Civilians slaughtered. Not just killed, slaughtered. Among them at least 14 American citizens killed. Parents butchered, using their bodies to try to protect their children, entire families slain. Young people massacred while attending a musical festival to celebrate peace. Families hid their fear for hours and hours, desperately trying to keep their children quiet, to avoid drawing attention. You all know these traumas never go away."
Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza have little options to flee the fighting. The only other land border, the one shared with Egypt, is under fire as well.
The United Nations say at least two hospitals, a number of residential buildings and two centres run by the Palestine Red Crescent Society has been hit in the blasts.
Juliette Touma is the Director of Communications at the UNWRA mission for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.
"The United Nations is calling on all parties to end the fighting everywhere and despair further unnecessary loss of civilians. I think people have suffered for way too much for way too long. For many people in the Gaza Strip this is the seventh time that they're going through a conflict. For many of our staff members who have been through thick and thin in Gaza, they say this is by far the worst."
This significant escalation is the latest in a long-standing conflict between Hamas and Israel.
