STORY: A year into Gaza conflict: Desperate humanitarian crisis, wider battlefront, and peace beyond reach
SHOOTING TIME: Sept. 30, 2024
DATELINE: Oct. 7, 2024
LENGTH: 00:04:51
LOCATION: Gaza, Jerusalem, Cairo
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. STANDUP 1 (English): OHOOD AL-JAGHOUB, Xinhua reporter in Ramallah
2. various of Gaza
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): IBRAHIM NASSER, Palestinian in Gaza
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): SHARIF ATALLAH, Palestinian in Gaza
5. STANDUP 2 (English): FENG GUORUI, Xinhua correspondent in Jerusalem
6. STANDUP 3 (English): YANG YIRAN, Xinhua correspondent in Cairo

STORYLINE:

STANDUP 1 (English): OHOOD AL-JAGHOUB, Xinhua reporter in Ramallah
"One year has passed since this round of the devastating war between Gaza and Israel began on October 7, 2023. The echoes of the ongoing conflict still resonate across the region, leaving behind a trail of unprecedented destruction and despair. For the Palestinian people, the past year has been the deadliest, accompanied by relentless suffering as they continue to bear the brunt of an escalating war."

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023.

The toll so far is staggering. In Gaza, nearly 42,000 lives have been lost -- a figure that represents about 2 percent of the population.

More than 90 percent of residents have been uprooted from their homes, fleeing time and time again under frequent Israeli evacuation orders in search of safe havens that don't exist.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): IBRAHIM NASSER, Palestinian in Gaza
"The scale of the destruction is indescribable and this is the first time in my life that I have seen such destruction similar to action movies. Can you imagine that the neighborhood you live in and even the streets are destroyed? The war has affected all the basics of life, electricity, water, food, drink and shoes which are not available. We get water once a week and when it comes, we have to stand in line and my turn might come after 40 people. I hope that the war ends and that peace prevails because we've had enough war, destruction and sabotage."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Arabic): SHARIF ATALLAH, Palestinian in Gaza
"The destruction that we saw in Deir al-Balah is indescribable even though it is known as the region of peace. People have lost everything in this war. We hope that the war ends soon because every beginning has an end. I hope peace prevails and reconciliation takes place because we are very tired and frankly life has become nothingness without water, food, and the basics of life and a source of income. How can we live in such a situation?"

On the Israeli side, more than 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals had been killed as a result of the October 7 attacks, and at least 346 Israeli soldiers were killed in battle since Israel's military began ground operations in Gaza, according to media reports.

The spillover effects from the continued fighting in Gaza are manifesting at a greater pace. 

STANDUP 2 (English): FENG GUORUI, Xinhua correspondent in Jerusalem
"Israel is now engaged in multiple conflicts, fighting not only Hezbollah in Lebanon but also Hamas in Gaza and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The situation continues to intensify, with no clear resolution in sight.
Behind those military actions, civilians in the region are suffering greatly. In Gaza, large sections of the territory lie in ruins, while in Lebanon, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by the war. The humanitarian impact of the conflict is severe, and the toll on ordinary lives continues to mount."

This escalating human cost highlights the urgent need for an end to the violence. But the international community is still scrambling for a concerted effort to establish a lasting peace.

STANDUP 3 (English): YANG YIRAN, Xinhua correspondent in Cairo
"U.S. support for Israel is complicating peace efforts. The U.S. has provided billions (of U.S. dollars) in military aid to Israel, making it difficult for the international community to present a united front.
One year into the bloody conflict, it is clear that the Palestinian issue -- despite being sidelined in recent years -- remains central to the region's crises.
To prevent more bloodshed in the Middle East, the international community must focus on one key goal: stopping the fighting in Gaza."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Gaza, Jerusalem, Cairo.
(XHTV)