RAFAH, Gaza Strip. Israeli warplanes struck targets across Gaza overnight and into Sunday, as well as two airports in Syria and a mosque in the occupied West Bank allegedly used by militant groups, as the 2-week-old war with militant groups threatened to spiral into a broader conflict.
Israel has traded fire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group on a near-daily basis since the war began, and tensions are soaring in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces have battled militant groups in refugee camps and carried out two airstrikes in recent days. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told troops in northern Israel that if militant groups launch a war against Israel, “it will make the mistake of its life. We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state will be devastating.” For days, Israel has seemed to be on the verge of launching a ground offensive in Gaza as part of its response to the deadly Oct. 7 rampage by militant groups.
Tanks and tens of thousands of troops have massed at the border, and Israeli leaders have spoken of an undefined next stage in operations. A convoy of 17 aid trucks was allowed to enter Gaza from Egypt on Sunday, Egypt’s state-run media reported, the second shipment into the territory since Israel imposed a complete siege two weeks ago. On Saturday, 20 trucks entered. Associated Press journalists at the crossing saw seven fuel trucks enter Gaza on Sunday, but did not see any more deliveries. Relief workers said far more was needed to address the spiraling humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where half the territory’s 2.3 million people have fled their homes.
The U.N. humanitarian agency, known as OCHA, said Saturday’s convoy carried about 4% of an average day’s imports before the war and “a fraction of what is needed after 13 days of complete siege.” The Israeli military said the humanitarian situation was “under control,” as OCHA called for 100 trucks a day to enter. Israel repeated its calls for people to leave northern Gaza, including by dropping leaflets from the air. It says an estimated 700,000 have already fled, but hundreds of thousands remain. That would raise the risk of mass civilian casualties in any ground offensive.
Israeli military officials say the infrastructure and underground tunnel systems of militant groups are concentrated in Gaza City in the north, and that the next stage of the offensive will include unprecedented force there. Israel says it wants to crush the militant groups, but officials have also spoken of carving out a possible buffer zone to keep Palestinians from approaching the border.
Hospitals packed with patients and displaced people are running low on medical supplies and fuel for generators, forcing doctors to perform surgeries with sewing needles, using vinegar as disinfectant, and without anesthesia. The World Health Organization says at least 130 premature babies are at “grave risk” because of a shortage of generator fuel. It said seven hospitals in northern Gaza have been forced to shut down due to damage from strikes, lack of power and supplies, or Israeli evacuation orders. Shortages in critical supplies, including ventilators, are forcing doctors to ration treatment, said Dr. Mohammed Qandeel, who works in Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital. Dozens of patients continue to arrive and are treated in crowded, darkened corridors, as hospitals preserve electricity for intensive care units.
“It’s heartbreaking,” Qandeel told the AP. “Every day, if we receive 10 severely injured patients, we have to manage with maybe three or five ICU beds available.” Palestinians sheltering in U.N.-run schools and tent camps are running low on food and drinking dirty water. A power blackout has crippled water and sanitation systems. OCHA said cases of chickenpox, scabies, and diarrhea are on the rise because of the lack of clean water. Heavy airstrikes were reported across Gaza, including in the southern part of the coastal strip, where Israel has told civilians to seek refuge.
At the Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah, south of the evacuation line, several bodies wrapped in white shrouds were lined up outside on the ground. Khalil al-Degran, a hospital official, said more than 90 bodies had been brought in since early Sunday, as the sound of nearby bombing echoed behind him. He said 180 wounded people had arrived, mostly children, women, and the elderly who had been displaced from other areas. Israel’s military has said it is striking members and installations of the militant groups but does not target civilians. Palestinian militants have fired over 7,000 rockets at Israel, according to the military, and militant groups say they targeted Tel Aviv early Sunday. The military says it plans to step up airstrikes ahead of the “next stages of the war,” without elaborating. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed in the war, mostly civilians slain during the initial attacks by militant groups. At least 212 people were captured and dragged back to Gaza, including men, women, children, and older adults.
Two Americans were released on Friday in what militant groups said was a humanitarian gesture. More than 4,300 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry run by militant groups. This includes the disputed toll from a hospital explosion. Syrian state media, meanwhile, reported that Israeli airstrikes have targeted the international airports in the capital, Damascus, and the northern city of Aleppo. The strikes killed one person and damaged the runways, putting them out of service. Israel has carried out several strikes in Syria, including on the airports, since the war began. Israel rarely acknowledges individual strikes but says it acts to prevent militant groups from bringing in arms from their patron, Iran, which also supports the militant groups. In Lebanon, Hezbollah said six of its fighters were killed Saturday, and the group’s deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Kassem, warned that Israel would pay a high price if it starts a ground offensive in Gaza. Israel struck militant group targets Sunday in response to rocket fire, the military said.
Israel also announced evacuation plans for another 14 communities near the Lebanon border. Kiryat Shmona’s 20,000 people were told to evacuate last week. In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, 90 Palestinians have been killed in clashes with Israeli troops, arrest raids, and attacks by Jewish settlers since the attacks by militant groups, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israeli forces have closed crossings into the territory and checkpoints between cities, measures they say are aimed at preventing attacks.
Israel says it has arrested more than 700 Palestinians since Oct. 7, including 480 suspected members of militant groups. Israeli forces killed at least five people there early Sunday, according to the Health Ministry. Two were killed in an airstrike on a mosque in the town of Jenin, which has seen heavy gun battles over the past year. The internationally recognized Palestinian Authority administers parts of the West Bank and cooperates with Israel on security, but it is deeply unpopular and has been the target of violent Palestinian protests.
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.
