DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip. Israel launches a second ground raid into the outskirts of Gaza City, backed by fighter jets and drones, as preparations for a potential ground invasion of the Hamas-ruled territory continue. In a separate development, U.S. warplanes have targeted locations in eastern Syria linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard following a series of attacks on American forces. Additionally, mysterious objects have struck towns in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, further escalating tensions in the ongoing Gaza war.
The Palestinian death toll has now exceeded 7,000, with more than 2,900 minors and over 1,500 women among the casualties. This figure surpasses the combined toll of all four previous conflicts between Israel and Hamas, which was estimated at around 4,000.
In Israel, more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed during the initial Hamas attack. Hamas is currently holding 229 captives within Gaza, including men, women, children, and older adults. The ongoing airstrikes have resulted in extensive destruction and forced over a million people to flee their homes, despite Israeli evacuation orders.
Israeli military forces have conducted ground raids in Gaza, targeting numerous militant sites. The goal is to identify and eliminate militants, remove explosives, and neutralize launch pads to prepare for the next phases of the conflict. Satellite images show the extensive damage caused by nearly three weeks of bombardment, with entire residential neighborhoods reduced to rubble.
The Israeli military asserts that it targets only militant sites and accuses Hamas of operating among civilians to shield its fighters. The military reported the elimination of one of the masterminds behind the October 7 massacre, Shadi Barud, who headed Hamas’ intelligence unit.
Throughout the conflict, Palestinian militants have launched thousands of rockets into Israel. Hamas’ military wing claims that about 50 hostages have been killed in Israeli bombardments, a claim that has not been immediately confirmed by Israeli officials.
The ongoing conflict has raised concerns of a wider regional war. Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed ally of Hamas in Lebanon, has engaged in skirmishes with Israel along the border. Israel has also carried out airstrikes targeting Iran-linked groups in Syria. The United States has deployed additional military assets to the region to deter Iran and its allies from entering the conflict on the side of Hamas.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin clarified that the strikes in eastern Syria were in response to ongoing attacks against U.S. personnel by Iranian-backed militia groups, distinct from the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Furthermore, incidents in the Red Sea region, including a drone crashing into a building in Taba and a mysterious object landing near a power station in Nuweiba, have raised concerns. Israel, Egypt, and the U.S. have heightened their defenses in the area.
The war has prompted protests across the Middle East, and more demonstrations occurred after Friday’s Muslim prayers. In Gaza, essential supplies such as food, medicine, and fuel for emergency generators are running low, and the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees is at risk of running out of fuel. Gaza’s sole power station shut down due to a lack of fuel, and Israel has barred fuel deliveries, suspecting that Hamas might divert them for military purposes.
Amid this humanitarian crisis, efforts are underway to send more aid to Gaza, but strict screening procedures for aid trucks entering the region have posed challenges. Philippe Lazarini, the head of the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, has reported a worsening situation with people going hungry and civil order collapsing.
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.
