The struggle between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in central and southern Gaza has intensified, resulting in the Israeli military advancing deeper within these regions. There has been a toll of at least 27 lives in the recent spate of Israeli strikes, according to health officials representing the Palestinians.
This new wave of violence emerged shortly after the American President, Joe Biden, underscored the immediate need to establish a peaceful settlement in Gaza to his Israeli counterpart, Binyamin Netanyahu, during a candid discussion, detailed by the White House.
Despite ongoing intermittent discussions around a truce, the complexities of the subject remain, with both Israel and Hamas unyielding in their positions.
In the northern part of Gaza – Beit Lahiya, abhorrent violence led to the death of 11 civilians, among which were women and children. A house was struck and a number of the victims were found severely burnt, as reported by the Civil Emergency Service, controlled by Hamas.
Israel’s military vehicular units are progressing further into Gaza, whilst Palestinian lives are being ruthlessly claimed through continual attacks by Israel.
In Al-Maghazi, located within the central Gaza Strip, there has been another somber report of six lives being lost in another strike, including that of a local reporter. Elsewhere, five additional deaths due to separate strikes have been reported within the southern part of the region.
Thursday witnessed more violence when an Israeli airstrike targeted civilians near a square in Khan Younis, resulting in the death of five Palestinians and several injured, as stated by health officials. This came in close succession to the Israeli military escalating their operations in Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis.
Over the last 24 hours, it has been revealed that Israeli forces have taken down numerous military establishments, identified rocket launch sites, and eliminated militants. It is believed that around 50 militants were neutralised in Rafah, situated at the southernmost tip of the region.
Hamas’ armed division has reported an ambush on an Israeli unit within Rafah, causing casualties among them.
Late on Wednesday, a telephonic conversation between Biden and Netanyahu took place in the wake of a fruitless visit to the troubled region by Anthony Blinken, the US Secretary of State. This trip failed to bring about any breakthrough in the conflict that had raged on for nearly a year.
Hamas is pushing for a settlement that brings an end to the war, in addition to the release of Israeli and foreign hostages. In exchange, they demand the liberation of a substantial number of Palestinian prisoners held captive by Israel. Failure to reach such an agreement is blamed on both Israel and the United States by Hamas.
Netanyahu asserts that the cessation of war hinges on Hamas’s defeat, dismissing the idea of a ceasefire for prisoner or hostage exchange as it simply tends to suspend hostilities temporarily while Hamas continues to pose a threat. Netanyahu refutes the accusation of blocking such an accord.
The town of Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, home to about a million residents and displaced Palestinians as per municipal council’s account, has seen its residents report an increase of tanks advancing from the east, leading to blockades on certain roads that link the city to the nearby southern region of Khan Younis.
Residents have noted the advancement of Israeli tanks towards the west, specifically towards Al-Karara and Hamad sectors of Khan Younis. This has resulted in the displacement of more families from their temporary accommodations, which at times is under intense fire from drones and tanks.
Families have been left with no other option but to seek temporary lodging on public roads and, in some cases, on the beach itself. Imad Al-Ghalayeeni, a 48-year-old man who fled from Khan Younis, describes the horrifying ordeal where families were forced to evacuate their homes. He reportedly told Reuters about drone attacks ithat forced them to take cover, which eventually led to them fleeing their shelters due to the approaching tank noises.
Al-Ghalayeeni paints a horrific picture of 48 individuals from five families running to the beach, sleeping on the road and seashore, often without basic amenities like tents, blankets or mattresses, leading to immense fear among both women and children. He revealed growing discontent amongst Gaza’s Palestinians regarding cease-fire negotiations, regarding them as time-consuming and only aiding in Netanyahu’s intention to prolong the current circumstances. He further laments that tanks have encroached every possible area, leaving no place unmatched, eventually making every location unsafe.
The brunt of the war has led to repetitively displacing the majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million population. Regular incidents of casualties from Israeli strikes have been reported even in supposed safe zones.
A severe fuel shortage at a hospital in Jabilia, a camp in northern Gaza, has resulted in health officials suspending all but life-critical treatments. Since October, Israel’s military actions have resulted in over 40,000 fatalities in Gaza, as stated by Palestinian health departments.
In an onslaught initiated by Hamas militants on 7th October 2023, Israeli settlements along with military establishments witnessed a brutal invasion, leading to an estimated death toll of roughly 1,200 individuals, as per Israeli records. In addition to this loss, about 250 people were taken hostage during this act of armed aggression. This information was reported by Reuters and is protected under the Thomson Reuters copyright 2024.