Gaza War Reaches 1,000 Days: A Tragedy in Numbers

A child amid the rubble of a building destroyed by Israel in Al-Shati camp, west of Gaza City, last Wednesday. (AFP)
A child amid the rubble of a building destroyed by Israel in Al-Shati camp, west of Gaza City, last Wednesday. (AFP)
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Gaza War Reaches 1,000 Days: A Tragedy in Numbers

A child amid the rubble of a building destroyed by Israel in Al-Shati camp, west of Gaza City, last Wednesday. (AFP)
A child amid the rubble of a building destroyed by Israel in Al-Shati camp, west of Gaza City, last Wednesday. (AFP)

A thousand days have passed since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack carried out by Hamas against Israeli military sites and settlements along the Gaza border, and since the start of a bloody war that lasted two years in the enclave.

A ceasefire agreement was reached on Oct. 10, 2025, but it remained fragile amid daily Israeli violations.

Asharq Al-Awsat reviews the most prominent figures published by government bodies and international organizations active in Gaza on the war.

According to the latest cumulative toll, 73,078 people were killed and more than 173,541 wounded, including 1,063 killed after the ceasefire and 3,438 wounded.

The dead included more than 21,500 children, among them 1,022 under the age of one. They included 520 infants who were born during the war and killed in it. The toll also included 12,470 women, more than 9,000 mothers and 22,000 fathers. Some 2,700 families were wiped entirely from the civil registry after attacks hit their homes and killed them all.

About 9,500 Palestinians remain missing under the rubble of destroyed homes. Others are believed to be held in secret Israeli prisons, with no information disclosed about their fate.

Israel bombed 38 hospitals during the war, while 96 medical clinics were forced out of service, despite the start of partial rehabilitation work at some facilities under harsh conditions. Some 1,700 medical personnel were killed, including doctors, nurses, administrators, paramedics and others. Israel also destroyed 16 civil defense centers and 84 vehicles.

Some 22,000 patients and wounded people urgently need treatment abroad as Gaza’s health crisis deepens.

More than 1.9 million cases of infectious disease were recorded, ranging from mild to moderate, with most patients recovering. More than 2 million displaced people remain inside the enclave, living in harsh conditions in more than 132,000 displacement tents, most of them worn out and unfit for living.

During the war, Israel closed the crossings for more than 670 days, blocking the entry of aid trucks and endangering the lives of more than 2 million Palestinians. They included 650,000 children who suffered from malnutrition and hunger.

Some 58,000 children were orphaned after losing one or both parents. Some 460 people died from famine, including 164 children, while 28 displaced people died from the cold, among them 25 children.

Israel continued to target schools, fully or partially, causing extensive material damage. More than 620,000 students were denied their right to education. More than 20,051 students were killed, along with 830 teachers and 194 academics.

Israel completely destroyed 410,000 buildings and housing units, blew up more than 5,080 kilometers of electricity networks, destroyed 1,047 mosques in full, dug up a large number of cemeteries, and destroyed and bulldozed 87% of agricultural land. It also destroyed hundreds of factories and companies. Initial losses from the war exceeded $80 billion.



Aoun: Lebanon Wants Israel Security Deal, Hezbollah Disarmament Without Confrontation

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during an interview with AFP at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on September 15, 2026. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during an interview with AFP at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on September 15, 2026. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)
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Aoun: Lebanon Wants Israel Security Deal, Hezbollah Disarmament Without Confrontation

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during an interview with AFP at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on September 15, 2026. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun speaks during an interview with AFP at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on September 15, 2026. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told AFP in an exclusive interview he wants to reach a security agreement with Israel once it withdraws from the south, and is determined to disarm Hezbollah without resorting to confrontation.

Speaking ahead of his departure to France on Wednesday, Aoun said Lebanon wanted a new force, European or otherwise, to prevent a security vacuum after UN peacekeepers leave south Lebanon when their mandate expires at the end of the year.

He called on the United States, European Union and Arab countries to support Lebanon's military as it deploys across the south.

In Paris, Aoun will attend a meeting hosted by President Emmanuel Macron and attended by King Abdullah II of Jordan to build international support for Lebanese troops as they deploy across the country.

"What matters is that there is no vacuum," Aoun told AFP on Tuesday. He added that any new force for Lebanon's south, part of which is occupied by Israel, would be "temporary until the (Lebanese) army can deploy."

"Whatever the nature of this force, that poses no problem for me: European, non-European, American, another United Nations force, Asian, or even a mix of European, Arab and Asian forces," Aoun said.

"The best and most optimal option remains extending UNIFIL's mandate," he added.

Under US pressure, the UN Security Council voted last year to end the force's mandate on December 31, 2026.

The mission, currently involving around 8,500 peacekeepers from nearly 50 countries, has been deployed in south Lebanon since 1978.

Aoun also said he wants a security agreement with Israel "primarily to end the state of hostility and the deployment of the army on the border. This could be a prelude to a later peace agreement, but we cannot jump directly to a peace agreement."

"We have no choice but negotiations, because the alternative is war, which would be very costly for us," Aoun added.

"Our Arab and European partners, as well as the United States and our friends, must share with us the responsibility of supporting the army and strengthening the Lebanese state," he said.

Aoun reiterated Lebanon was determined to disarm Hezbollah, saying the decision was "neither negotiable nor open to discussion."

However, he said, "the objective is not a confrontation... We are determined to resolve this issue peacefully.

"This is not about building a state at the cost of a bloody conflict... or a new civil war."

Aoun said he had told Iran that after Hezbollah's disarmament, relations "must be based on mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of the Lebanese people.

"We have no problem with having a relationship with Iran, but we do have a problem with interference in our internal affairs."


Yemeni Government Forces Regroup to Shift the Momentum

Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, inspects forces in Hajjah. (government media)
Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, inspects forces in Hajjah. (government media)
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Yemeni Government Forces Regroup to Shift the Momentum

Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, inspects forces in Hajjah. (government media)
Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, inspects forces in Hajjah. (government media)

Yemen’s army and allied forces have raised their state of alert on the Taiz and Hajjah fronts as they move to reorganize their military positions to shift the momentum, while the Houthis increase pressure on Taiz after seizing the western coast as far as Bab al-Mandab.

In northwestern Hajjah province, Presidential Leadership Council member Othman Mujalli inspected Fifth Military Region forces and affiliated fronts, reviewing their readiness, training and morale.

Mujalli said the armed forces would continue confronting the Houthis and working to restore state institutions, stressing the need to maintain morale and prepare for the battle to liberate the country.

He also praised the Fifth Military Region’s ability to develop equipment for ammunition production and the maintenance of weapons and vehicles, as well as bolster its drone unit and advanced surveillance system.

The visit included naval forces, the coast guard and several islands off Midi district. Mujalli reviewed efforts to evacuate civilians and personnel from Zubair Island after they were stranded because of recent developments along the western coast. He also inspected naval readiness to secure the islands and territorial waters and strengthen the military and security presence along the coast.

The visit comes as government forces seek to hold their positions in the northwest while reassessing their military deployment following rapid developments on the western coast.

Pressure on Taiz

In southwestern Taiz, the Yemeni army announced Tuesday that it had struck a Houthi ballistic missile launch platform at Taiz airport, east of the city. The Taiz Military Axis said warplanes targeted the platform as military vigilance increases around the city amid growing pressure from the west.

The Yemeni Armed Forces had earlier announced strikes on Houthi equipment, personnel and positions seized by the group in Dhubab in Taiz province and Al-Khawkhah in Hodeidah province, according to military spokesman Col. Majid al-Nazili.

The strikes coincided with an inspection tour by Taiz Military Axis Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Abdulaziz al-Majidi of several fronts surrounding the city.

In southern Taiz, Tur al-Bahah Axis commander and 4th Mountain Infantry Brigade commander Maj. Gen. Abu Bakr al-Gbouli inspected front lines stretching from Bani Omar to Jardad and the outskirts of Al-Wazi’iyah district.

Al-Gbouli said his forces were at a high level of combat readiness and capable of responding to developments on the ground, stressing vigilance, operational discipline and constant preparedness for Houthi movements.

Regrouping

The moves follow a major shift after the Houthis seized large parts of the western coast, including Mokha, Al-Khawkhah and Hays, before reaching Bab al-Mandab and several Red Sea islands. The developments have increased pressure on Taiz, which could become a target for Houthi attempts to expand their control and tighten their grip on the city and surrounding countryside.

Observers say government military activity in Taiz and Hajjah reflects an effort to contain the repercussions of losing the coast and prevent the Houthis from turning their recent gains into a permanent reality on the ground, while reorganizing forces and raising readiness in the most sensitive sectors.

Mujalli also urged tribes to protect their sons from Houthi recruitment and being drawn into fighting. He praised Saudi support for Yemeni forces and humanitarian and development projects and inspected efforts by the Masam mine-clearance project to remove mines planted by the Houthis in government-held areas.

The developments indicate that government forces are seeking to move beyond responding to the recent setback and build a more cohesive military posture, particularly in Taiz, where inland fronts intersect with the coast and Red Sea routes, making the province central to any attempt to shift the momentum.


Survivors: Sudan Gold Mine Collapse Kills at Least 60

A group of armed defectors from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) arrive in a vehicle as they are believed to be surrendering to the Sudanese military, in the west of Omdurman on August 19, 2026. (Photo by Ebrahim Hamid / AFP)
A group of armed defectors from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) arrive in a vehicle as they are believed to be surrendering to the Sudanese military, in the west of Omdurman on August 19, 2026. (Photo by Ebrahim Hamid / AFP)
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Survivors: Sudan Gold Mine Collapse Kills at Least 60

A group of armed defectors from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) arrive in a vehicle as they are believed to be surrendering to the Sudanese military, in the west of Omdurman on August 19, 2026. (Photo by Ebrahim Hamid / AFP)
A group of armed defectors from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) arrive in a vehicle as they are believed to be surrendering to the Sudanese military, in the west of Omdurman on August 19, 2026. (Photo by Ebrahim Hamid / AFP)

A gold mine collapsed in southern Sudan, killing at least 60 small-scale miners, two survivors told AFP on Wednesday, while many more are missing and feared dead under the rubble.

Shafts began collapsing in the Al-Zaraa mine near the town of El-Nahud in West Kordofan on Tuesday, and by the following morning 60 bodies had been retrieved.

"We don't know how many more are still inside," one of the survivors, Khair al-Sayyed Jabara, told AFP after an all-night rescue operation with fellow miners, using the same rudimentary tools they use to mine.

"Everyone's working very hard to retrieve the bodies or any survivors, but it's difficult. We need heavy machinery to clear the rock and soil."

Since war erupted in April 2023 between Sudan's army and the Rapid Support Forces, the war efforts of both sides have been largely funded by the gold industry, in addition to foreign backers.

The conflict has devastated Sudan's already fragile economy and left much of the country out of work, pushing many into a dangerous gold rush.

Artisanal and small-scale mining, which takes place in unofficial zones or decommissioned mines, accounts for the majority of gold extracted.

Al-Amin Suleiman, another miner who was working at the rim of Al-Zaraa on Tuesday, told AFP that "the shafts here are all close together, if one collapses, it brings down all the ones next to it".

"This is what happened here. So far, 60 bodies have been pulled out but there are people still trapped underground since yesterday. I don't think they are alive."

Sudan is suffering the world's largest hunger and displacement crises, with nearly 20 million people facing crisis levels of hunger.