Israeli airstrikes pounded parts of the Gaza Strip overnight into Saturday, targeting even the small areas where Palestinians had been instructed to evacuate in the southern region of the territory.
These latest attacks followed the United States’ veto of a United Nations resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. Despite widespread support from Security Council members and many nations, the vote ended 13-1, with the United Kingdom abstaining.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, addressing the council before the vote, described the attacks as intense and continuous, pushing Gaza residents to relocate within ever-smaller areas in the south without the essentials for survival. Guterres warned that Gaza was on the verge of a humanitarian collapse, with severe consequences for the entire region’s security. Israeli airstrikes pounded
Gaza’s borders with Israel and Egypt are effectively sealed, leaving Palestinians with no option but to seek refuge within the territory. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has risen above 17,400, predominantly affecting women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.
Israel holds Hamas responsible for civilian casualties, citing the use of civilians as human shields. The Israeli military reported fighting and killing Hamas militants, discovering weapons inside a school in Gaza City. A tunnel shaft and elevator were found in the densely populated neighborhood of Shijaiyah. Separate incidents involved militants shooting at troops from a U.N.-run school in Beit Hanoun.
Residents reported airstrikes and shelling in Gaza’s north and south, including Rafah near the Egyptian border. The central city of Deir al-Balah’s main hospital received 71 dead and 160 wounded in the past 24 hours. In Khan Younis, 62 dead and 99 wounded were taken to Nasser Hospital.
Israel aims to maintain control in northern Gaza, where heavy fighting continues, despite evacuation orders issued six weeks prior during the conflict initiated by Hamas’ October 7 raid targeting civilians in Israel.