DLNews World At War:

As the war progresses, Gaza is disintegrating in ways unthinkable just a few weeks earlier. Fistfights break out in bread lines; residents wait hours for brackish water that makes them sick; scabies, diarrhea, and respiratory infections spread quickly through overcrowded shelters; families have to choose who eats; desperation has strained society's tight-knit society, and some Palestinians openly challenge Hamas rule over Gaza enclave.

Witnesses reported a case in which an upset man took action when told off by a Hamas officer for cutting in line for bread by taking an iron chair and smashing it over their head, according to witnesses. A woman whose husband died during the fighting and who is now caring for their 2-year-old daughter told The Associated Press, "This existence is humiliation." Rare scenes of dissatisfaction have also taken place across this tiny territory where people vent their ire at officials and Hamas police who run its streets - four Palestinians spoke on condition of anonymity regarding what they saw or have witnessed. In contrast, others reported their experiences to The Associated Press under conditional anonymity because reprisals may follow them if speaking openly would risk reprisals regarding what they saw or witnessed in this enclave who spoke up.

The conflict has taken an enormous toll on an already impoverished enclave where 1.3 million people reside in cramped UN schools and hospitals converted to shelters; its economy has collapsed, leaving supermarket shelves nearly barren and bakeries shutting due to lack of flour and fuel to run their ovens; families cook on open fires in the streets for survival purposes while some claim they have gone weeks without meat, eggs, or milk supplies.

Health ministry officials in Gaza reported that since the start of the war, over 11,000 have been killed; of those deaths, more than 3,000 were civilians. Military leaders warned that more fatalities could still come as a result. Israel's offensive is designed to destroy Hamas tunnels used for transporting weapons and ammunition from Egypt into Gaza and take out militants believed responsible for rocket attacks against southern cities. The United Nations has strongly advised both sides to exercise restraint and allow humanitarian supplies to pass safely through.

On Monday, President Joe Biden requested that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implement daily ceasefires of four hours each to let civilians from Gaza leave for medical attention and food shopping. The Israeli administration announced Thursday and Friday as the starting dates for these pauses, each preceded by an announcement lasting three hours. Israelis agreed to this arrangement; these pauses won't hinder Israel's overall offensive against Hamas, whose rockets have provoked fierce Israeli reprisals; during these pauses, Israeli forces won't attack in northern Gaza but will instead only target those suspected of firing missiles into Israeli territory.