The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates on October 22nd, 2025, strongly rejected and condemned the Israeli Knesset's move to impose "Israeli sovereignty" on occupied Palestinian land, calling it a "blatant violation of international law" and asserting that Palestinian sovereignty is "indivisible and belongs solely to its people." Separately, geo-analyst Ben-Zion Makles released an analysis on October 22nd, 2025, estimating that approximately 62 percent of all buildings in the Gaza Strip were completely destroyed during the "Eighth Assembly War," with some municipalities, including Beit Hanon and If a Netzer, experiencing 100 percent destruction. The analysis, based on a map focusing on buildings "destroyed almost to the ground," indicated that including non-habitable buildings would increase the overall destruction figure by about 10 percent. This comes as the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also on October 22nd, 2025, "categorically rejected" the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) "advisory opinion" regarding UNRWA, describing it as a "political attempt to impose political measures against Israel under the guise of ‘International Law.’" The ministry stated that UNRWA employees "directly took part in the October 7th massacre and continue to assist Hamas’s terrorist operations," claiming extensive evidence of Hamas infiltration into UNRWA and that the organization still employs over 1,400 Hamas operatives. An NBC network report, quoted by Aljazeera on October 22nd, 2025, estimated that Hamas retains between 10,000 and 20,000 commando soldiers in Gaza, suggesting the movement's capabilities were "not completely destroyed despite the strikes." The report also indicated Hamas is focusing on strengthening its role in managing the Strip's affairs. In parallel, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced on October 22nd, 2025, that the Italian government is prepared to help train future Palestinian police and political leaders, and contribute to the reconstruction of Gaza, as reported by Bloomberg. The Jordanian army announced on October 22nd, 2025, that it would send a representative to an international cease-fire implementation team in Gaza, operating from Kiryat Gat. U.S. Vice President J. D. Vance also affirmed the U.S. commitment to eradicating Hamas and working with partners for the swift return of hostages. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly informed Vance that Turkey would not be permitted to enter Gaza. Further security concerns raised on October 22nd, 2025, include claims by Israel's Unit 8200 that Hamas builds tunnels under schools. These concerns are compounded by reports of increased arms smuggling from Egypt into Israel, with Israel's security system detecting 550 fence crossings in the past 72 hours and developing a plan to address the issue.
