Israeli forces have escalated their attacks in the Gaza Strip, targeting the largest southern city and a central refugee camp. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has reported a devastating death toll of over 21,000 people in the past 11 weeks of war. As the airstrikes continue and operations expand in the south, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a warning, stating that the population in Gaza is in “grave peril.” French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a long-term ceasefire to address the escalating crisis.
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari revealed that the strikes on a central refugee camp in Gaza have entered their third day. Additionally, an additional brigade has been deployed to the southern city of Khan Younis, which has been the recent focus of heavy urban combat. Hagari also hinted at the possibility of an “expansion of fighting in the north” along the Lebanese border, where Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants have engaged in repeated exchanges of fire since the war in Gaza began.
Following a visit to the border, army chief Herzi Halevi stated that the military has approved plans for various contingencies and emphasized the need to be prepared to strike if necessary. Israel has made it clear that it will continue its campaign to destroy Hamas in retaliation for the bloody attack on October 7, which claimed the lives of approximately 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli figures.
Palestinian militants have also taken hostages, with around 250 individuals being held captive, according to Israel. The relentless bombardment and ground invasion by Israel have resulted in the deaths of at least 21,110 people in Gaza, the majority of whom are women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Calls for an end to the hostilities have been growing, with French President Emmanuel Macron emphasizing the need for a lasting ceasefire in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Macron expressed deep concern over the heavy civilian toll in Gaza and announced that France, in collaboration with Jordan, will be conducting humanitarian operations in the territory in the coming days.
Since the beginning of the war, Gaza has been under siege, resulting in severe shortages of food, water, fuel, and medicine for its residents. The WHO’s Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has echoed the calls for a ceasefire and urged the international community to take urgent steps to alleviate the grave peril facing the population of Gaza. The WHO also reported that hungry people have been stopping their convoys in search of food.
According to the United Nations, an estimated 1.9 million Gazans have been displaced due to the ongoing conflict. Among them is Iman al-Masry, who recently gave birth to quadruplets in a hospital in southern Gaza after fleeing her family’s home in the devastated north of the territory early in the war.
The situation in Gaza remains dire, with the death toll rising and the humanitarian crisis worsening. The international community must continue to exert pressure for a lasting ceasefire and work towards providing much-needed aid and support to the people of Gaza.
Source: The Manila Times
