Israel-Hamas war: 5 key developments from Gaza conflict on Sunday 5 November

The UN said the number of deaths among children in Gaza was catastrophic after revealing nearly 4,000 had been killed since Israel started bombing the region in its war with Hamas.

It said more than 40% (3,900) of the people reportedly killed in Gaza since the conflict began last month were children, with another 1,250 missing and thought to be buried under destroyed buildings.

Elsewhere, Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suspended a cabinet member who said the country was considering dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza, and British citizens trapped in in the Strip are facing the prospect of leaving without their family members.

Here are the main stories from today:

1. Child deaths in Gaza 'catastrophic'

• The UN said a reported 3,900 children have been killed in the last four weeks since the conflict began. Children born during the war are at most risk due to closed hospitals and clinics, with around 50,000 women thought to be pregnant in Gaza.

• Unicef spokesperson Toby Fricker said: “The numbers are obviously catastrophic. Verification doesn’t occur in real time, which is why we say ‘reportedly killed’, but, generally speaking, in all conflicts we substantiate initial estimates and in Gaza they have tended to be pretty consistent.”

Read more: Gaza’s children face catastrophe as death toll nears 4,000, UN warns (Guardian)

2. Israel minister says nuclear bomb is option

• Netanyahu has indefinitely suspended far-right minister Amichai Eliyahu from the cabinet after he said using a nuclear bomb in Gaza “is one of the possibilities” under consideration by the Israeli government.

• The prime minister’s office said Eliyahu’s words were “detached from reality”, with Netanyahu suspending him but it's still unclear what that means as there’s currently a war cabinet running the country.

Read more: Minister says dropping nuclear bomb on Gaza is an option (Telegraph)

3. Brits in Gaza ‘face leaving without family'

• The UK has begun putting names of British citizens on a list of those allowed to leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing to Egypt. Some British citizens have said their dependants without British passports have yet to be included on the safe passage list.

• One person facing the difficult prospect of leaving family members behind said: "It is heartbreaking, nobody should have to make this kind of choice. The world has lost its humanity."

Read more: British citizens trapped in Gaza ‘face leaving without family members’ (PA

4. Deputy PM 'concerned' over march

• Deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden has voiced “grave concerns” over the scheduling of a pro-Palestinian march on Armistice Day.

• Dowden highlighted the sensitive nature of the day and pointed out that such demonstrations could possibly lead to unrest or be misconstrued as a sign of intimidation, especially towards the Jewish community.

Read more: Deputy PM voices ‘grave concerns’ over pro-Palestinian march on Armistice Day (PA)

5. Boris Johnson visits Israel

• Former prime minister Boris Johnson has travelled to Israel to “express solidarity and support” amid the conflict. He is set to meet Israeli president Isaac Herzog and the relatives of hostages being held by Hamas.

• Johnson’s spokesperson said: “Former UK prime minister Boris Johnson and former Australian prime minister Scott Morrison are in Israel making a joint visit to express solidarity and support for Israel after the terrible terrorist attacks on 7 October.”

Read more: Boris Johnson jets to Israel to ‘express solidarity’ after Hamas attacks (Independent)

Where is Gaza?

Gaza, also known as the Gaza Strip, is a densely-populated Palestinian enclave on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, north-east of the Sinai Peninsula.

Bound by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Israel to the north and east and Egypt to the south, it is just 25 miles long and six miles wide.

Gaza is one of two Palestinian territories. The other is the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Read more

• Israel-Hamas war: 5 key developments on Wednesday 1 November