Jerusalem – Amidst mounting concerns about depleting water, food, and fuel supplies in the Gaza Strip following five consecutive nights of relentless bombardment, Israel has declared that it will not grant humanitarian respite until the release of all hostages. Energy Minister Israel Katz, via social media, asserted that no “electrical switch will be activated, no water supply reinstated, and no fuel transport allowed” until the “abductees” are liberated.
In response to the gruesome massacres perpetrated by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in 20 Israeli communities last weekend, which also saw the abduction of numerous hostages, Israel is making preparations for a ground invasion. This marks the most severe escalation in the region in five decades.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Tel Aviv on Thursday as part of a Middle East tour, underlining Washington’s unwavering support for Israel. He commented during a joint press conference with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “While you may possess the strength to defend yourselves, rest assured, as long as America exists, you will never stand alone. We will perpetually stand beside you.”
Overnight IDF (Israel Defense Forces) strikes resulted in the demise of at least 33 individuals in a mere two hours, taking the death toll in Gaza to a staggering 1,354. Fighter jets targeted residences in multiple areas, with civilian defense groups recovering the bodies of the deceased. In certain regions, distraught residents sifted through debris with their bare hands, searching for survivors and the deceased.
According to reports, since the commencement of hostilities, six neighborhoods in Gaza have been obliterated. Eighteen healthcare facilities and 20 ambulances have been affected, with 11 healthcare workers losing their lives, as stated by the World Health Organization. This constitutes the most relentless bombing campaign the strip has endured in the 16 years since Hamas assumed control over this densely populated area housing 2.3 million inhabitants.
The UN disclosed late on Wednesday that the number of people displaced by airstrikes had surged by 30% within a mere 24 hours, reaching 339,000, with two-thirds of them seeking shelter in UN schools. Palestinian media reported the killing of the brother of Mohammed Deif, Hamas’s military commander, and a senior commander from Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Residents of the strip were informed of hospitals limiting admissions to only emergency cases. The Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt remained shuttered, and the sole power station exhausted its fuel supply on Tuesday, leaving the strip reliant on isolated private generators. These, too, will cease functioning if fuel isn’t allowed in. The Red Cross issued an urgent plea for fuel deliveries to prevent overwhelmed hospitals from turning into morgues.
Meanwhile, in Israel, the reported death toll has reached 1,300. Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesperson, informed reporters on Thursday that preparations for a ground assault are underway, although the political leadership has yet to issue the order. Prime Minister Netanyahu, now heading a newly formed unity government and war cabinet that includes opposition members, has pledged to “crush and destroy” Hamas.*
Benny Gantz, leader of the centrist National Unity party and a former defense minister, expressed unity in the face of the crisis, stating: “We are all in this together. We are all mobilized. This is not a political alliance but a shared destiny. It is the time to unite and emerge victorious.”
Secretary Blinken’s itinerary also includes a visit to Jordan, and Palestinian officials have indicated that he will meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who maintains control over parts of the West Bank. Abbas, whose Fatah movement lost control of Gaza to Hamas in 2007, has refrained from condemning the attacks on Israel, instead attributing the violence to the longstanding Palestinian grievances and the 56-year-old occupation.
The visit by Blinken coincides with the arrival of a US aircraft carrier in the region, amidst apprehensions that the events of the past week might escalate, potentially involving Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group, and Palestinian factions in the occupied West Bank and the volatile city of Jerusalem. In the West Bank, confrontations have erupted in several areas involving Palestinians, IDF troops, and Israeli settlers residing in the territory.
Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander of US Central Command, remarked, “The arrival of these highly capable forces in the region serves as a potent deterrent against any party hostile to Israel seeking to exploit this situation.”
The emergency war cabinet is now tasked with defining the country’s strategic goals in Gaza. A ground offensive, the first since a seven-week war in 2014, is likely to result in even higher casualties on both sides, as it entails intense house-to-house combat. Israel has mobilized an unprecedented 360,000 reservists, deployed additional forces near the strip, and evacuated tens of thousands of residents from adjacent communities.
In addition to the logistical and strategic challenges, Israel faces the complexity of hostage situations within the Gaza Strip, involving children and the elderly. Reports suggest that kidnapped individuals are scattered throughout the enclave, some held in private residences, with the factions themselves uncertain about the exact number of hostages. Israeli media has estimated this figure to be between 100 and 150.
As reporters gained access to affected towns and kibbutzim this week, the scale of the devastation is becoming increasingly evident. IDF officials have recounted entering homes marred by atrocities, including the rape and murder of women, and the shooting and burning of children.
Keren Shem, whose daughter Mia remains missing since attending a rave in Re’im kibbutz, where 260 people lost their lives, declared during a Thursday morning interview that no government officials had contacted her. She demanded immediate action, insisting on obtaining a comprehensive list of the missing individuals, fearing her daughter may have succumbed to her injuries.
