In the midst of escalating tensions, Israel unleashed airstrikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, resulting in the deaths of 13 individuals, including nine children, according to health authorities on Sunday.
The attacks come as the United States gears up to sanction billions of dollars in additional military aid to Israel, intensifying an already volatile situation in the region. Israel’s relentless airstrikes on Rafah, a city where over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have sought refuge from ongoing conflict, have drawn international condemnation, including pleas for moderation from the US.
Despite international calls for restraint, Israel has signaled its intent to persist with its ground offensive in Rafah, located on the Egyptian border.
The recent airstrikes claimed the lives of several families, with the first strike resulting in the deaths of a man, his wife, and their 3-year-old child, while the second strike claimed the lives of eight children and two mothers from the same family. Additionally, nine individuals, including six children, were killed in a previous airstrike in Rafah the previous evening.
The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict has exacted a heavy toll on Gaza, with over 34,000 Palestinians losing their lives, significant damage to infrastructure in Gaza’s major cities, and widespread displacement. Experts warn of an impending humanitarian crisis, with nearly 80% of the population forced to flee their homes.
The conflict, now in its seventh month, has also exacerbated tensions across the Middle East, with Israel and the US facing off against Iran and allied militant groups. Recent clashes between Israel and Iran have heightened fears of a broader regional conflagration.
Meanwhile, tensions have surged in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces reportedly “neutralized” two Palestinians who attacked a checkpoint near Hebron early Sunday. The exact fate of the Palestinians remains unclear.
Since the onset of the Gaza war, at least 469 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, with the majority of casualties occurring during Israeli military operations or violent protests.
The conflict was sparked by a deadly raid into southern Israel by Hamas and other militants, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of approximately 250 hostages. Israel alleges that militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of over 30 others.
The devastating toll of the conflict is evident, with Gaza’s Health Ministry reporting over 34,000 Palestinians killed and nearly 77,000 wounded. While Israel attributes civilian casualties to Hamas’s use of residential areas for combat, the true extent of the humanitarian crisis continues to unfold.
Israel maintains its stance of continuing the war until Hamas is dismantled and all hostages are released, while thousands of Israelis demand new elections to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and secure a resolution to the crisis.
The conflict shows no signs of abating, with both sides entrenched in their positions, leaving the civilian population of Gaza trapped in the crossfire of a protracted and