Israel has intensified its airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, resulting in a significant loss of life. Numerous residential buildings have been reduced to rubble, claiming the lives of hundreds of Palestinians in the past day. These airstrikes have also disrupted medical facilities due to damage and power outages. The Hamas-run Interior Ministry reported that Israeli jets continued their massive air bombardment throughout the night, targeting various sites across Gaza.
In response to prior missile attacks directed at Israel, the Israeli military announced that it had also targeted military facilities within Syria. The conflict has now entered its 19th day and has become the deadliest of the five Gaza wars for both sides.
Since Israel sealed off the territory following an October 7 attack by Hamas on southern Israeli towns, Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been facing severe shortages of food, water, and medicine. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 704 people over the past day, including women and children.
Israel reported launching 400 airstrikes in the past day, with targets including Hamas commanders, militants preparing to launch rockets into Israel, as well as command centers and a Hamas tunnel shaft. The situation in the Gaza Strip, which is a contentious region in the Middle East where Hamas is located, has deteriorated, leading to the deaths and injuries of thousands of children and civilians.
Hamas had initiated the conflict on October 7, which resulted in more than 220 people, including foreigners, being captured by the group during the incursion and taken into Gaza. The Israeli military has vowed to eradicate Hamas from the region and has received support from the United States, the United Kingdom, and several Western countries.
A United Nations special investigator stated that while Hamas' attacks on Israel are considered war crimes and crimes against humanity, Israel, in its response, is obligated under international law to protect civilians and is prohibited from targeting schools, hospitals, and individuals fleeing harm.
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