The situation in the Gaza Strip has escalated significantly, with Israel intensifying its strikes in a new and expanded phase of the conflict, resulting in hundreds of deaths. Prior to a vote on the ceasefire, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the ongoing bombardment, labelling it as a “spiralling humanitarian nightmare”, reported news agency Reuters.
The Israeli military stated that it has conducted strikes on over 450 targets in Gaza within the last 24 hours, this is the most following a truce with Hamas collapsed and about double the daily figures typically reported since.
His words to the UN Security Council emphasised the critical juncture reached, stating that the collapse of the humanitarian system could potentially lead to a complete breakdown of public order.
“We are at breaking point,” he told the UN Security Council, as per Reuters. Guterres said that the people in Gaza are being told to move like human pinballs – ricocheting between ever-smaller slivers of the south, without any of the basics for survival,” while referring to Israeli instructions to Gazan civilians to move to safe areas.
Residents and the Israeli military reported intensified fighting in both northern areas, where Israel had previously said its troops had largely completed their tasks last month, and in the south where they mounted a new assault this week.
Casualties In Gaza
According to Gaza’s health ministry, 350 people were killed on Thursday. By Friday, the death toll from Israel’s campaign had risen to 17,487, with thousands more missing and presumed buried under rubble. The impact of the conflict is devastating, and strikes were reported in various areas, including Khan Younis in the south, the Nuseirat camp in the centre, and Gaza City in the north.
Friday evening brought intensified Israeli tank fire on the districts of Shejaiya, Nafaq, Sabra, and Jala in north Gaza. Health officials reported at least 10 people killed in an airstrike on a house in Khan Younis.
In response to the ground invasion that began in late October, Israel’s military reported that 94 Israeli soldiers had been killed fighting in Gaza. The conflict is marked by significant casualties on both sides, with the densely populated Gaza Strip facing severe humanitarian challenges.
An Israeli commander, Brig Gen Dan Goldfuss, said in a video message recorded in Khan Younis that his forces were fighting house to house and “shaft to shaft”, a reference to tunnel shafts. As he spoke, gunshots rang out in the background.
Israel declared its campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas in response to the border raid of October 7, since then most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes.. The ongoing fighting, spanning across both parts of Gaza, has made it increasingly challenging for civilians to seek refuge and safety.