Israel’s military has escalated its attacks on the Gaza Strip, specifically targeting Gaza City. They claimed yesterday, Friday, that Gaza City has been surrounded from all sides. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is currently traveling to the Middle East to discuss the ongoing situation. Yesterday, he held meetings with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the meeting, he emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of American citizens in the midst of the conflict.
Reports from Al-Jazeera indicate that fighters from armed Palestinian groups in Gaza have intensified their resistance. Despite their efforts to leave Gaza City to escape the intense fighting, American citizens are finding it difficult to do so. This raises concerns that the casualties among American civilians may further increase. In the past 28 days, over 9,200 people have lost their lives in Israeli attacks on Gaza, with a majority of the deceased being women and children.
The main road connecting northern and southern Gaza has been completely blocked off by the Israeli military. While Salahuddin Road remains partially open, land and air strikes continue relentlessly. Photos and videos show attempts by Palestinian civilians to leave Gaza City in cars, much like the previous day, but many of these vehicles are targeted in the attacks. Several American vehicles, ambulances, and UN-flagged vehicles have also been involved in incidents during the attacks.
Many vulnerable civilians still remain in Gaza City. Despite the directive to evacuate, there is no assurance of their safety outside the city. The Red Cross is making efforts to safely evacuate these individuals, but their proposal has been rejected by the Israeli military.
Hamas government offices in Gaza City are still operational, although Israel has announced intentions to break down Hamas’ administrative structure through a ground campaign and has targeted organizational capabilities.
In addition, Hamas has issued a warning, threatening to send Israeli soldiers back in “body bags” if they do not return them through the “black bags” used to transport their remains.
Israel has reported that since the expansion of the ground campaign in the vicinity of Gaza, 24 soldiers have been killed. Since the sudden Hamas attack on October 7th, 338 Israeli soldiers have lost their lives. In addition to this, Israel claims that Hamas currently holds 241 Israeli citizens.
The United Nations has urgently called for assistance to support the 2.7 million people in Gaza and along the western coast. They have stated that immediate aid of $120 million is needed to meet the needs of the people.
As of October 7th, the beginning of the Israeli attacks, there have been 3,826 children and 2,405 women among the casualties in Gaza. According to Ministry of Health spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra, approximately 2,100 people are still missing in Gaza. They are believed to be trapped under the debris of destroyed buildings.
The ongoing attacks have led to the closure of one hospital after another, as they are unable to admit new patients due to a shortage of supplies. Even the Turkish Friendship Hospital, which specializes in burn injuries, has been completely closed due to the shortage caused by the blockade. In this hospital alone, 12 cancer patients have lost their lives.
