In a devastating turn of events an Israeli airstrike hit Beit Lahia a town in northern Gaza yesterday‚ resulting in at least 73 fatalities. The civil defense force reported that the strike leveled an entire block to the ground‚ with many people still trapped under the rubble. The Israeli military stated that the target was a “Hamas terror target“ emphasizing that the area is an active war zone
The attack is part of a larger operation in northern Gaza that began about two weeks ago. This operation has seen increased strikes‚ shelling and evacuations‚ with nearly 500 Palestinians losing their lives. The Jabalya refugee camp (home to roughly 40000 people) has been under siege as part of this operation
Hospitals in northern Gaza have also come under fire. The Indonesian Hospital was surrounded and shelled‚ leading to power loss and patient deaths in the ICU. The United Nations has declared the hospital “no longer operational“. The humanitarian situation in northern Gaza is dire‚ with no food entering the area since early this month
The conflict which has been ongoing for over a year has resulted in at least 42519 casualties in Gaza according to the local health ministry. The majority of those killed are reported to be women and children. However‚ health experts suggest the actual death toll could be much higher due to breakdowns in reporting systems
Hamas will no longer rule Gaza
In southern Gaza‚ the Israeli military dropped leaflets declaring the end of Hamas rule. Meanwhile‚ the conflict has spilled over into Lebanon‚ with exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah. A drone reportedly reached Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuʼs residence yesterday‚ though he was not present at the time
The situation remains tense with no clear end in sight. The international community continues to call for a resolution to the conflict and increased humanitarian aid to the affected areas