GAZA CITY: The Gaza Strip continues to witness intense fighting, with the health ministry reporting a surge in the Palestinian death toll. Over the past 24 hours, at least 165 people were killed, marking a significant increase compared to previous days.
Israeli air strikes and tank shelling continued on Saturday, particularly in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis city. The ongoing conflict has further heightened tensions, with an Israeli strike in Damascus killing the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ spy chief for Syria and three other Guards members.
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, the relentless Israeli bombardment and ground offensive have killed at least 24,927 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
The United Nations estimates that the conflict has displaced 1.7 million Palestinian people, with one million crowded into the Rafah area in Gaza’s far south, near Egypt. Urgent calls for better aid access, including through Israel’s Ashdod port, have been made as famine and disease loom.
Discussions Over Future of Gaza Strip
International concern over the humanitarian situation has prompted discussions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden about the post-war future of Gaza. Disagreements exist over Gaza’s governance, with the United States urging Israel to protect civilians. President Biden expressed that it might still be possible for Netanyahu to agree to some form of Palestinian state despite Netanyahu’s recent statements on security control.
Meanwhile, violence has also surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israeli troops and settlers have killed over 360 people since October 7. The White House expressed serious concern over reports of a Palestinian teenager with US citizenship being killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank.
