RAMALLAH: Israel has intensified its military operations in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, resulting in the death of at least seven people near Khan Younis and widespread destruction in various areas.
The Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis has been overwhelmed with casualties, as relentless Israeli bombings continued, resulting in the killing of several Palestinians and leaving many injured. In Rafah, despite being designated a “safe zone” by Israeli military directives, displaced Palestinians find no respite from the ongoing airstrikes. Northern Gaza has experienced some of the most intense Israeli attacks.
Central Gaza, particularly near Bureij, Nuseirat, and Maghazi refugee camps, has witnessed continuous Israeli airstrikes and bombardment, causing huge damage to homes, schools, shelters, and mosques. Since the launch of Israel’s military campaign on October 7, over 20,915 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared the conflict a “multi-arena war,” identifying seven fronts, including Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Iraq, Yemen, and Iran. Gallant emphasized that anyone acting against Israel is a potential target with no immunity.
Israel Intensifies Raids in West Bank
The occupied West Bank has not been spared, with the UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs reporting demolitions in Furush Beit Dajan and Deir Ballut. Since the beginning of 2023, 1,094 structures have been demolished, displacing at least 2,127 Palestinians.
Widespread destruction of homes and residential buildings in Beit Lahiya was reported, adding to the grim reality of the conflict.
In overnight raids, Israeli forces detained at least 55 people in the West Bank, bringing the total number of arrests since October 7 to 4,785, according to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society.
Amidst global concern and mounting calls for a ceasefire, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal, asserted to continue the military campaign. Netanyahu outlined three prerequisites for peace: the destruction of Hamas, the demilitarization of Gaza, and the deradicalization of Palestinian society.
