JERUSALEM. Israeli warplanes launched relentless airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, targeting neighborhoods one by one, causing widespread destruction and forcing Palestinians to seek refuge in the sealed-off territory. The airstrikes are seen as a severe retaliation for the deadly weekend attack by Hamas militants.
Amid the escalating conflict, humanitarian groups are desperately urging the creation of safe corridors to deliver much-needed aid to Gaza. Hospitals in the area are overwhelmed, running critically low on supplies. The situation worsened as Israel cut off the entry of food, fuel, and medicines into Gaza. Furthermore, the last access point from Egypt was shut down on Tuesday following airstrikes near the border crossing.
The ongoing war, which has already claimed the lives of at least 1,900 people on both sides, is expected to intensify. The weekend attack by Hamas, which they claimed was in response to worsening conditions for Palestinians under Israeli occupation, has heightened Israel’s resolve to weaken Hamas’s influence in Gaza. Recent exchanges of fire on Israel’s northern borders with militants in Lebanon and Syria have raised concerns about the possibility of an expanded regional conflict.
Hamas militants breached Israeli territory on Saturday morning, leading to the killing of hundreds of residents in homes and streets near the Gaza border. This event marked the first gun battle between Hamas and Israeli towns in decades. As of now, Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza are holding around 150 soldiers and civilians hostage, according to Israeli sources.
Israel has escalated its offensive by mobilizing an additional 360,000 reservists. The Israeli military claimed to have regained control over areas in its southern region that were attacked by Hamas, as well as the Gaza border.
The looming question is whether Israel will initiate a ground assault into Gaza, a 25-mile-long strip of land wedged between Israel, Egypt, and the Mediterranean Sea, home to 2.3 million people and governed by Hamas since 2007.
Rescue teams in Gaza are struggling to reach “large numbers” of people trapped under the debris of demolished buildings. On Tuesday, Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood was particularly hard-hit after hours of intense airstrikes. Buildings were torn apart, cars flattened, and streets turned into scenes of destruction.
In a new tactic, Israel is warning civilians to evacuate neighborhoods before inflicting destruction, which could be a prelude to a ground offensive. On Tuesday, residents of the nearby al-Daraj neighborhood were urged to leave, and shortly afterward, new explosions rocked that area and others, continuing into the night. One blast even hit Gaza City’s seaport, setting fishing boats on fire.
“There is no safe place in Gaza right now. You see decent people being killed every day,” said Hasan Jabar, a Gaza journalist, who expressed genuine fear for his life.
On Tuesday afternoon, Hamas launched barrages of rockets towards the southern Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Tel Aviv, with no immediate reports of casualties. In the evening, a group of militants entered an industrial zone in Ashkelon, sparking a gun battle with Israeli troops. Three militants were killed, and troops were conducting searches in the area for others.
Israel’s new tactics suggest a shift in its objectives. Previous conflicts between Israel and Hamas from 2008 to 2021 ended inconclusively, with Hamas maintaining its control. However, the current Israeli government faces mounting public pressure to defeat Hamas decisively, a goal that seemed unattainable in the past without reoccupying the Gaza Strip, even if only temporarily.
The ongoing devastation also raises questions about Hamas’s strategy and objectives. Hamas had reportedly prepared for all possibilities, including a severe escalation by Israel. As desperation grows among Palestinians, who see little hope under enduring Israeli control and increasing West Bank settlements, the 16-year-long Gaza blockade, and perceived international apathy, the situation becomes increasingly volatile.
Hamas may have hoped for the conflict to spread to the West Bank and potentially involve Lebanon’s Hezbollah in the north. Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in the West Bank have resulted in 15 Palestinian deaths, but Israel has imposed strict restrictions on movement between communities. Violence has also erupted in East Jerusalem, where Israeli police reported killing two Palestinians who were throwing stones at officers.
Brief exchanges of fire across Israel’s northern border have occurred almost daily. Palestinian militants fired rockets into northern Israel from Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, each time prompting Israeli artillery and mortar fire in return, though a full-scale escalation has not yet materialized.
In an attempt to halt the bombardment of Gaza, Hamas has threatened to execute an Israeli civilian captive for each civilian killed in Gaza without prior warning. This unprecedented attack by militants in Israel has shocked the nation, with a death toll not seen since the 1973 war with Egypt and Syria. However, the recent deaths occurred over a much shorter period.
According to the Israeli military, over 1,000 people, including 155 soldiers, have been killed in Israel. In Gaza, authorities report 900 people killed, including 260 children and 230 women, with Israel claiming that hundreds of Hamas fighters are among the casualties. Thousands have been wounded on both sides.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced that at least 14 U.S. citizens were killed in the Hamas attack, with Americans among those held hostage in Gaza. Following a conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden emphasized that there is no justification for terrorism. He also issued a warning, stating, “To any country, any organization, anyone thinking of taking advantage of the situation, I have one word: Don’t.”
The U.S. State Department has announced that Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to Israel in the coming days to deliver a message of solidarity and support.
In response, Hamas called on the Biden administration to review its “biased position” and move away from the policy of double standards concerning Palestinian rights to defend themselves against Israeli occupation.
The Israeli military stated that the bodies of roughly 1,500 Hamas militants were found on Israeli territory, though it remains unclear whether these numbers overlap with the deaths reported by Palestinian authorities. Tens of thousands of people in southern Israel have been evacuated since Sunday.
In Gaza, over 200,000 people have fled their homes, marking the largest displacement since the 2014 Israeli offensive, which uprooted about 400,000 Palestinians. Most of the displaced are seeking refuge in schools run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. Damage to three water and sanitation sites has cut off services to 400,000 people, according to the U.N.
The World Health Organization, a U.N. agency, reported that supplies it had pre-positioned for seven hospitals in Gaza had already run out due to the influx of wounded patients. Doctors Without Borders, a medical aid group, also voiced concerns about depleting surgical equipment, antibiotics, fuel, and other supplies in two hospitals it operates in Gaza.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
