Overview

• Twenty surviving hostages have been returned to Israel in an exchange that saw hundreds of Palestinian detainees freed, with Israeli control reported at roughly 53% of the Strip.
• Aid convoys are being permitted to enter Gaza to deliver food, water and medical supplies under the reported first-phase arrangement.
• The Hamas-run health ministry reports at least 67,000 people killed and 169,000 injured in Gaza, with about 20,000 children among the dead and at least 459 starvation deaths including 154 children.
• Damage assessments diverge, with UN and local sources citing about 78% of buildings destroyed or damaged, while a satellite study estimates roughly 60%—about 198,883 structures—affected through October 2, 2025.
• Experts estimate roughly 61 million tonnes of debris across Gaza, about 15% potentially contaminated, and India Today reports Israel’s war costs at approximately USD 62 billion.