GAZA – As the conflict between Israel and Hamas escalates, thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have been fleeing to the southern regions of the territory.
This mass movement comes in response to Israel’s warning that it anticipates a ground offensive against Hamas in retaliation for the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the week of intense bombings is “just the beginning” as Israel seeks to retaliate against Hamas for the attack that killed more than 1,300 people just a week ago.
Israeli ground forces have conducted localized raids into Gaza over the past 24 hours, with the aim of clearing the area of terrorists, weaponry, and locating missing persons.
Hamas’ recent attack has been compared to the 9/11 attack in the United States, as most of the casualties were civilians, including more than 600 children.
At least 1,900 Gazans have been killed in missile strikes, and hospitals are overwhelmed with the dead and injured, pushing the health system to the brink.
While Israel contends that 150 hostages, including Israelis, foreigners, and dual nationals, were taken by Hamas in the initial attack, the militant group reported that 13 hostages had been killed in Israeli airstrikes.
The United Nations described the immediate evacuation of nearly half of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents as “impossible,” and UN chief Antonio Guterres called for the evacuation order to be rescinded.
He stated that moving such a large population across a densely populated war zone with no access to basic necessities is extremely dangerous.
US President Joe Biden spoke with the families of 14 Americans who have been missing since the Hamas attack on Friday.
He pledged to do everything possible to locate them and emphasized the need to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Tensions have escalated across the Middle East, with demonstrations in support of the Palestinians and Jerusalem facing a potential confrontation with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
As the conflict continues, the Red Cross in Geneva commented on the unjustifiable “horrific” attacks on Israel, emphasizing that they cannot justify “the limitless destruction of Gaza.”
While the situation remains tense and deadly, the world is watching closely to see how this conflict unfolds and what efforts will be made to stop the violence.
Please note that the information provided is based on the details provided and may be subject to updates as the situation evolves.
