CAIRO/GAZA. At least 91 Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza on Thursday, as Israel abandoned a two-month-old ceasefire and intensified military operations, the enclave’s health ministry reported.
After a period of relative calm, Gaza was once again plunged into chaos as Israel launched a renewed air and ground campaign against Hamas, the dominant Palestinian militant group in the region. The Israeli military ordered evacuations from multiple areas, dropping leaflets instructing residents to leave Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun in the north, the Shejaia district in Gaza City, and towns on the eastern outskirts of Khan Younis in the south.
Late on Thursday, Israel’s military confirmed it had begun ground operations in the Shaboura district of Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city near the Egyptian border.
“War is back, displacement and death are back. Will we survive this round?” said Samed Sami, 29, who fled Shejaia with his family to set up a tent in an open-ground camp.
A day after deploying tanks into central Gaza, the Israeli military extended ground operations into the north, particularly along the coastal route in Beit Lahiya. While Hamas initially refrained from retaliating, the group later launched rocket attacks into Israel. The Israeli military confirmed sirens were triggered in central Israel following projectiles fired from Gaza.
Some residents reported seeing no immediate Hamas preparations for renewed combat. However, a source from a militant faction allied with Hamas, speaking anonymously to Reuters, stated that fighters were placed on high alert and instructed to cease using mobile phones.
As ceasefire negotiations failed to yield an extension, Israel resumed airstrikes on Tuesday with an extensive bombing campaign before launching a ground incursion on Wednesday.
Tuesday’s initial airstrikes alone claimed more than 400 Palestinian lives, making it one of the deadliest days in the 17-month-long conflict. The continuous attacks have resulted in significant casualties, including key Hamas figures such as the de facto head of Gaza’s government, the chief of security services, his aide, and the deputy head of the Hamas-run justice ministry.
Israel’s military stated that it had been conducting an operation over the past 24 hours to expand the buffer zone separating Gaza’s northern and southern regions, known as the Netzarim corridor. Residents were instructed to avoid the Salahuddin road, Gaza’s main north-south route, and use the coastal road instead.
Hamas condemned Israel’s actions, calling the ground offensive and Netzarim corridor incursion a “new and dangerous violation” of the ceasefire. The group reiterated its commitment to the agreement and urged mediators to intervene.
For Israeli leadership, the prospect of a full-scale resumption of war poses challenges. Some current and former Israeli officials warn that prolonged military engagement risks diminishing public support and straining military resources, especially as reservists express fatigue. Protests have erupted against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of prolonging the war for political gain and endangering hostages still held in Gaza.
Hamas seeks a second phase of the truce that would lead to negotiations for a permanent ceasefire and Israeli troop withdrawal, alongside the exchange of hostages for Palestinian prisoners. However, Israel has only agreed to a temporary extension, maintaining its blockade on Gaza while continuing military operations to pressure Hamas into releasing captives.
Meanwhile, regional tensions escalated further as Israel’s military reported intercepting two missiles launched from Yemen on Thursday. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement has occasionally targeted Israel in solidarity with Gaza.
With reports from Reuters
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.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
