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Israeli Military Operations Intensify in Gaza Amidst Expanded Offensive
Reports indicate lethal Israeli air raids across Gaza, with Israel’s defense minister announcing an expansion of military operations. The offensive aims to incorporate significant portions of Palestinian territory into what are described as “security zones.”
Defence Minister Israel Katz stated the broadened operation seeks to “eliminate terrorists and terrorist infrastructure” and will necessitate a large-scale evacuation of Palestinian civilians.
Deadly Strike on UN Clinic
Tragically, at least 19 individuals, including nine children, perished in an attack on a United Nations clinic in Jabalia, northern Gaza. The clinic was providing shelter for displaced families, according to local hospital sources.
The Israeli military asserts the strike targeted “Hamas militants” allegedly using the facility as a hideout.
Overnight Strikes Claim More Lives
Separate overnight assaults throughout Gaza resulted in the deaths of at least 15 additional individuals, as reported by local medical facilities.
Civil defense responders recovered the remains of 12 people, including women and children, from a residential building in the Khan Younis area, southern Gaza.
A local resident, Rida al-Jabbour, recounted the loss of a neighbor and her infant child in the Khan Younis strike, conveying the profound disruption and fear experienced by the community.
“Since the moment of the strike, we have been unable to find rest or peace,” al-Jabbour told a reporter.
The Israeli military stated it is currently reviewing these reports.
Civil defense officials clarified that the Jabalia strike impacted two rooms within a clinic operated by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which was functioning as a shelter.
Video evidence confirmed by the BBC depicted numerous individuals and ambulances converging at the site. Smoke billowed from a section of the building where two floors appeared to have collapsed.
In a formal statement, the Israeli military explained they targeted Hamas operatives allegedly “concealed inside a command-and-control center used for coordinating terrorist activities and as a central meeting point.”
“Prior to the strike, extensive measures were implemented to minimize risks to non-combatants, including aerial surveillance and supplementary intelligence gathering,” the statement added.
UNRWA has not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.
Concerns of Major Ground Offensive Rise
Reports are also emerging of extensive Israeli air strikes and shelling along the Gaza-Egypt border overnight, fueling speculation of an impending large-scale Israeli ground incursion into Gaza.
Israeli Army Radio reported on Wednesday that Israeli tanks and ground troops had initiated an advance into central and eastern sectors of Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza.
Earlier this week, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders to an estimated 140,000 residents in Rafah and additional evacuation directives for areas in northern Gaza.
Expanding Buffer Zone and Shifting Conflict Dynamics
Throughout the recent conflict, Israel has progressively expanded a buffer zone along Gaza’s periphery and gained control of a land corridor bisecting the territory’s center.
Israel initiated its renewed Gaza operations on March 18th, attributing the escalation to Hamas’s rejection of a US-backed proposal to prolong a ceasefire and secure the release of 59 hostages still held in Gaza.
Conversely, Hamas accused Israel of breaching the terms of their initial agreement from January.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, representing many hostages’ families in Israel, expressed their “horror” upon learning of the expanded military operation.
The organization implored the Israeli government to prioritize the safe return of all hostages remaining in Gaza.
In his announcement detailing plans to seize further territory, Minister Katz also called upon Gazans to take action to remove Hamas and liberate the remaining Israeli hostages, without specifying how they should undertake such actions.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The humanitarian situation across Gaza has deteriorated significantly in recent weeks. Aid access to the Gaza Strip has been restricted by Israel since March 2nd, marking the longest aid blockade since the commencement of hostilities.
Last month, the UN announced a reduction in its Gaza operations, a day after multiple Palestinian medical personnel, civil defense responders and a UN staff member were killed by Israeli forces in southern Gaza.
The Israeli military launched its campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. This attack resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities in Israel and the abduction of 251 individuals as hostages.
Tragically, the ongoing conflict has resulted in over 50,399 deaths in Gaza, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry.