The Israeli army has launched a relentless bombardment on the Gaza Strip, deploying approximately 6,000 bombs since Saturday, collectively amounting to a staggering 4,000 tonnes, as reported by the military. This sustained assault has left a harrowing toll, with at least 1,417 lives lost.
Witnesses from the Agence France-Presse (AFP) detailed the grim scenes of Israeli warplanes executing numerous strikes on the densely populated Shati refugee camp during a half-hour span on Thursday morning. Among the heartbreaking stories that emerged was that of a four-year-old child trapped in the rubble, desperately seeking his family. Covered in dust and wounded, the boy cried out, “Daddy, where is my mom and my siblings?”
The humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave has reached dire proportions, compounded by Israel’s imposition of a total blockade on the territory, leaving essential supplies perilously scarce. The World Food Programme (WFP) issued a grave warning, noting that vital resources, such as food and water, are rapidly depleting. Brian Lander, Deputy Head of Emergencies at WFP, emphasized, “We’re going to run out very soon.”
The International Committee of the Red Cross has also raised concerns about dwindling fuel reserves for hospital generators in Gaza and the inability to transport aid and medicine due to the lack of secure passage.
Amid international efforts to negotiate safe corridors for Gaza residents to escape the relentless bombing via border crossings with neighboring Egypt, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt conveyed a message of steadfastness, urging Gazans to “stay steadfast and remain on their land.”
Furthermore, Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas called for an immediate cessation of the extensive aggression against the Palestinian people, following discussions with Jordan’s King Abdullah II. In his statement, Abbas rejected the “practices related to killing civilians or abusing them on both sides,” underscoring the moral, religious, and international violations involved in targeting civilians. Abbas presides over the Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank, while Hamas governs the Gaza Strip.
In a new development, Syria reported coordinated missile strikes by Israeli forces on the airports in Damascus, the capital, and Aleppo, a northern city. These strikes resulted in damage to airport runways and the temporary suspension of airport operations in both cities. The timing of these strikes coincided with Israel’s conflict with Hamas fighters in Gaza and was perceived as an attempt to divert global attention from the ongoing hostilities.
Israel has a history of conducting strikes in Syria against targets it identifies as Iran-affiliated, including airports in Aleppo and Damascus.
By agencies
