Israeli airstrikes intensified over central Gaza Strip on Sunday, according to eyewitnesses and doctors, as fighting continued in the ruins of cities and refugee camps in a war that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said would take “several more months” to conclude.
Escalation of Israeli Attacks on Central Gaza
Aerial bombardments continued in Deir al-Balah and Al-Bureij in central Gaza, resulting in the deaths of 10 people in a single home and causing more to flee to Rafah on the border with Egypt from the front lines where Israeli tanks are battling Hamas militants.
Humanitarian and Economic Consequences of the War
Official figures from Palestinian health committees indicate that Israeli air and artillery strikes have claimed more than 21,800 lives in Gaza, causing nearly 2.3 million people to be displaced from their homes. The war and supply shortages have left 40 percent of Gaza’s population vulnerable to famine, according to the director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
International Concerns and Political Solution Prospects
Netanyahu’s statements that he will regain control of the border between Gaza and Egypt indicate there will be no relief in the near future. These remarks have raised new questions about the future of the sector and the prospects for a Palestinian state.
Regional and International Ramifications
The war is evolving into a broader regional conflict involving Hamas allies in Iran and groups supported by Tehran across the Middle East. Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah have regularly exchanged fire across the border, and Israel has struck targets linked to Iran in Syria. Iranian-backed groups have attacked U.S. targets in Iraq.
Additionally, Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen attacked a Maersk cargo ship on Saturday and Sunday. Three of the small boats used by the Houthis in the attack on Sunday sank, while U.S. naval forces directed the fourth vessel to shore.
Israel reports that 174 of its military personnel have been killed in the fighting in Gaza and that its operations are making progress, including the destruction of some of Hamas’s tunnels under the sector. Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad – which seek Israel’s destruction – have confirmed that they are still targeting Israeli forces in the sector.
Given the current situation, it appears that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not end anytime soon, raising further questions about the political solution and the future of the region.
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