Israeli forces have intensified their military operations in Gaza City, with the military announcing a ground offensive on Friday. This escalation comes in the wake of a reported increase in casualties across the Palestinian territory, with rescuers indicating that at least 30 individuals have been killed since dawn. The renewed military actions follow the collapse of a brief truce established last month amid ongoing tensions with Hamas, as Israel aims to reclaim territory within the Gaza Strip to pressure militants into releasing hostages still held captive.
The Israeli military has confirmed that its ground troops are currently engaged in the Shujaiya area, with the stated objective of expanding a security zone that has been established in the region. Eyewitness accounts describe the precarious situation, as residents like Elena Helles conveyed their distress, stating that her family is trapped without escape routes due to heavy bombardment.
In light of the escalating conflict, many residents have fled areas where evacuation orders were issued, as reported by footage from AFPTV. The civil defense agency detailed that Israeli operations across Gaza on Friday have resulted in numerous fatalities, including a devastating strike in Khan Yunis that claimed the lives of at least 25 individuals. A family member of a victim, Ahmed al-Aqqad, expressed concerns that more bodies may still be trapped under the debris, asking for global intervention to halt the ongoing violence.
Defense Minister Israel Katz has articulated Israel’s strategy of increasing military presence and targeting what it deems as terrorist infrastructure within Gaza. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reinforced this stance, declaring an intent to seize territory in order to compel Hamas to release Jewish hostages taken during the October 2023 assault that initially triggered the conflict. Currently, 58 victims remain captives in Gaza, while the military has reported that 34 of those initially kidnapped are believed to have died.
Hamas’s military wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, has raised alarms about the safety of hostages amid the Israeli ground offensive, emphasizing that many hostages are situated in areas that have recently been told to evacuate. The situation escalated dramatically when an Israeli strike hit a school being used as a shelter for displaced families in Gaza City. Reports indicate that at least 31 people, including children, perished in that attack, leading to distressing accounts of displaced parents searching for their missing children amidst the chaos.
The Israeli military has defended its actions, claiming that the attack targeted a Hamas command center, although the implications for civilian safety have elicited strong condemnation from humanitarian groups. Notably, Doctors Without Borders announced the loss of one of its staff members, Hussam Al Loulou, who was killed alongside his family in a recent airstrike.
As the conflict continues, the health ministry in Gaza has reported over 1,249 fatalities since the resumption of intense bombing, bringing the cumulative death toll to more than 50,000 since the outbreak of war. The initial attack on Israel on October 7, which set the stage for the current conflict, has been linked to 1,218 civilian deaths according to official Israeli statistics.
In a related development, Israeli forces also conducted a strike in Lebanon, resulting in the death of a Hamas commander, Hassan Farhat, along with his family members. The Israeli military accused Farhat of directing attacks against Israeli targets and highlighted his involvement in prior incidents of rocket fire. In response, Lebanon has decried the strike as a violation of its sovereignty and a breach of a truce established with Hezbollah, a group allied with Hamas.
Meanwhile, U.S. officials, including the deputy special envoy for the Middle East, were in Lebanon for talks with government officials, underscoring ongoing efforts to mediate and address the tensions exacerbated by recent military actions.
