Israeli tanks advanced deeper into the central and southern Gaza Strip on Saturday amid heavy aerial and artillery bombardment, according to eyewitnesses, confirming the deadly assault that has devastated much of the area and which Israel said could continue for several more months.
Aerial Bombardments and Fighting in Palestinian Neighborhoods
Fighting concentrated in Al-Bureij, Al-Nuseirat, Al-Maghazi, and Khan Younis, with intense airstrikes supporting the clashes, leading to hospitals filling up with injured Palestinians.
Casualties and Destruction
Health authorities in the Hamas-controlled territory reported that the bombardment resulted in the deaths of 165 people and injuries to another 250 in Gaza over the past 24 hours. Israeli attacks have killed at least 21,672 Palestinians so far and injured more than 56,000 others, with fears that thousands more are buried under the rubble.
Repercussions of the Conflict
The conflict threatens to spread in the region, with Iran-aligned groups in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen engaging in exchanges of fire with Israel and its American allies or targeting commercial vessels.
Humanitarian Aid and Conditions in Gaza
The bombardment has destroyed homes, residential buildings, and businesses, and disrupted hospitals. On Saturday, the Palestinian Ministry of Culture announced that the Israeli strikes targeted an ancient bathhouse. The old grand mosque was targeted earlier in the war.
International Intervention and Recent Developments
South Africa asked the International Court of Justice on Friday to issue an urgent order declaring that Israel is violating its obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention in its suppression of Hamas in Gaza. In response, the Israeli Foreign Ministry blamed Hamas for causing suffering among Palestinians in Gaza by using them as human shields and stealing aid from them.
Impact on Journalists and Media
A Palestinian journalist working for Al-Quds TV, along with some family members, was killed in an airstrike that targeted his home in the Al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Friday, according to health officials and fellow journalists. The government media office in Gaza announced that 106 Palestinian journalists have been killed in the Israeli assault.
These are the latest events in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that is witnessing a severe escalation and massive destruction in the Gaza Strip. The international community must intervene to stop this humanitarian tragedy and work towards a political solution to the conflict.
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