The conflict between Israel and Gaza intensifies as Israel continues its air strikes on the besieged Palestinian enclave. An anticipated ground operation looms, raising concerns about a worsening humanitarian crisis.
The United Nations has sounded the alarm, stating that civilians in Gaza are rapidly running out of safe places to seek shelter.
In a worrying escalation, Israeli aircraft also targeted southern Lebanon overnight, and Israeli troops clashed with Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, indicating a spread of the conflict beyond Gaza’s borders.
While more aid reached Gaza on Sunday, the UN’s humanitarian agency stressed that the delivered assistance was only a fraction of what is urgently needed. The population in Gaza is suffering from severe shortages of essential supplies, including food, water, medicine, and fuel.
Health authorities in Gaza reported a death toll of at least 4,600 people due to Israel’s two-week bombardment. The conflict began with an assault on October 7 by Hamas militants, resulting in the death of 1,400 people and the taking of 212 hostages.
The Israeli military confirmed striking over 320 targets in Gaza within the last 24 hours. These targets included a tunnel housing Hamas fighters and numerous command and lookout posts. The strikes aimed at sites that posed threats to Israeli troops preparing for a potential ground operation. Palestinian media sources revealed that the attacks focused on Gaza’s central and northern regions.
Currently, Israeli troops and tanks are amassed along the Israeli-Gaza border, with a ground invasion appearing imminent. The exact timing of this operation remains uncertain.
The UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA) disclosed that around 1.4 million of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are now internally displaced, seeking refuge in overcrowded UN emergency shelters. Israel has advised Gaza residents to evacuate the northern areas to avoid the conflict, but due to bombardments in the south and lack of shelter, some displaced individuals have started returning to the north.
International concerns are mounting, especially in the United States, where officials have warned of significant risks to U.S. interests in the region. Additionally, a new deployment of advanced air defenses has been announced. Along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has clashed with Israeli forces, marking the deadliest escalation of frontier violence since the Israel-Hezbollah war in 2006. The situation continues to escalate, raising fears of a broader conflict in the Middle East.
