Israeli Escalation in Gaza: Dozens of Dead Amidst Intense Air and Artillery Strikes

Gaza is witnessing another bloody day, with a wide-ranging escalation of Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling that has targeted various parts of the Gaza Strip, from east to west, amidst the falling of dozens of dead and wounded, and increasing fears of an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.

The Israeli forces have significantly expanded their military operations in the city of Gaza, targeting densely populated residential neighborhoods, including the Al-Tuffah and Al-Zarqa neighborhoods in the east of the city, where intense air and artillery bombardment has focused, coinciding with the use of modern techniques, including explosive robots sent to detonate specific sites.

In the Al-Karama neighborhood in western Gaza, an airstrike targeted an inhabited house, resulting in the martyrdom of three Palestinians and injuring several others with varying degrees of wounds.

One of the airstrikes also hit a tent for displaced persons in the city center, leading to a fire outbreak and injuring civilians who were waiting for aid.

While attention was directed to the center and south of the strip where thousands of displaced people are concentrated, the Israeli forces launched new airstrikes targeting civilian gatherings, including places where aid distribution was taking place in the northern strip, resulting in several civilian casualties.

The spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza, Mahmoud Basal, confirmed in a statement to Agence France-Presse that the death toll since the dawn hours today has risen to at least 42 due to the ongoing Israeli bombardment.

Basal stated that the city of Gaza, along with areas in the north, center, and south of the strip, is subjected to intense airstrikes, noting that the deadliest strike occurred in the Al-Sabra neighborhood, resulting in the martyrdom of eight people from one family.

For his part, Ibrahim Al-Sharfa, a resident of the Al-Sabra neighborhood, described the situation in his area as "extremely dangerous in every sense of the word," saying:

"Every minute there are explosions, martyrs, death, and blood. We can no longer bear it. The airstrikes do not stop, and the artillery shelling targets civilian homes. We do not know where to go... death is chasing us everywhere."

These field developments come amidst increasing warnings from local and international entities regarding the worsening famine and malnutrition crisis in the Gaza Strip, with the ongoing blockade and closure of crossings, and the disruption of humanitarian aid convoys, especially after the Israeli army announced the expansion of its military operations within the city.

It is noted that this war erupted following the attack launched by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the death of 1,219 people, the majority of whom are civilians, according to statistics from Agence France-Presse based on official Israeli data.

Since then, according to data from the Ministry of Health in Gaza, which is run by Hamas and is a recognized reference by the United Nations, the Israeli military campaign has resulted in the martyrdom of at least 62,686 Palestinians, most of whom are women and children.