Israel-Hamas war: Israel Defence Forces (IDF) are continuing the large-scale airstrikes against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip as the world leaders deliberate to bring both parties back to the negotiating table. Since Friday morning, when the true deal collapsed, at least 240 Palestinians have been reported to be killed in the Gaza Strip with the overall death toll crossing 15,000. Israel has shifted the focus of bombardments to southern Gaza and ruled out any talks with Hamas about the ceasefire.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hints at escalation of Israel-Hamas war: 10 updates
1. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday suggested that they are preparing for an escalation of its war against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip. “We will continue the war until we achieve all its goals, and it’s impossible to achieve those goals without the ground operation,” he said in a televised conference.
2. The IDF has shifted its focus to the areas around southern Gaza especially Khan Younis which can make the humanitarian efforts more challenging as around 1.8 million civilians of Gaza fled towards the south to avoid Israeli bombardments.
3. Israeli defense spokesperson said that the terrorists from Gaza continue their attacks on the Israeli territory and since the breakdown of the ceasefire, more than 250 rockets have been fired at Israel from Gaza
4. The world leaders continue to express their concern over the rising death toll in Gaza with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asking Israel to do whatever possible to protect civilian lives in Gaza. Similar warnings came from US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin who said that Israel is risking “strategic defeat” in case it fails to stop the rising civilian death toll.
5. US Vice-President Kamala Harris was more blunt with her take and said “As Israel defends itself, it matters how. The United States is unequivocal international humanitarian law must be respected. Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering and the images and videos coming from Gaza are devastating.” the Vice-President added.
6. The UK is planning to carry out unarmed surveillance flights over the Middle Eastern region to find the locations of its citizens held hostage by Hamas. A BBC report quoted the Ministry of Defence of the country which said “The safety of British nationals is our utmost priority.”
7. French President Emmanuel Macron will likely head to Qatar to get both Israel and Hamas back to the truce deal. The leader said that Israel’s objective to completely eliminate Hamas risks decades of war.
8. The United Nations and various humanitarian organizations have consistently raised alarms about an impending humanitarian crisis in Gaza due to a shortage of essential resources such as food, clean water, and medical assistance.
9. Israel is denying the reports that it is blocking the humanitarian aid into Gaza. “We will facilitate the entrance into the Gaza strip of humanitarian support for the civilians of Gaza,” Mark Regev, special adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
10. Mark Regev added that Israel has set up a number of safe zones for civilians but accused Hamas terrorists of using civilians as human shields.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Vikram Sharma is a globe-trotting journalist with a global perspective on international events. His articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing insights into the world’s most pressing challenges.
