- After Israel warned them to evacuate in light of a planned ground offensive against Hamas, thousands of Palestinians fled to southern Gaza to seek refuge.
- Following the attacks, at least 1,900 Gazans, including over 600 children have been killed.
- Thousands protested in Beirut, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, and Bahrain in support of the Palestinians.
- A Reuters video journalist was killed in south Lebanon in an Israeli strike, while two other Reuters reporters, two from AFP, and two from Al Jazeera were injured.
- Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group has vowed to join the fight along with Hamas against Israel.
- Hamas has vowed to dig its heels in and fight “to the last drop of blood”.
The Israeli army said that ground forces made “localized” raids into Gaza in the last 24 hours. The aim of the raids was to “cleanse the area of terrorists and weaponry in addition to finding “missing persons”, the army said. Israel has alleged that Hamas took about 150 Israeli, foreign, and dual national hostages during the attacks last week.
Following the attacks, at least 1,900 Gazans including over 600 children have been killed in wave after wave of Israeli airstrikes on the densely populated Gaza enclave.
As violence escalates in the region, tensions spilled over to other nations in the Middle East and beyond with protests erupting in major cities in support of Palestinians and condemnation of Israeli airstrikes on residential buildings, killing civilians. Thousands protested in Beirut, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, and Bahrain in support of the Palestinians.
Israel also faces a separate confrontation on its northern front with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group. The Israeli army said its forces were “responding with artillery fire towards Lebanese territory” after a blast damaged the border barrier.
A Reuters video journalist was killed in south Lebanon in an Israeli strike, while two other Reuters reporters, two from AFP, and two from Al Jazeera were injured.
The United Nations said the Israeli military’s advice to 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza to immediately relocate to the south in 24 hours was “impossible”.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said hospitals in Gaza are struggling to handle the sheer number of dead and injured from relentless Israeli airstrikes and shelling. The health system in Gaza is “at a breaking point”, the WHO said.
To counter the Hamas group’s multi-pronged attack, Israel, along with the combined might of its military and air force, has mobilized 3 lakh reservists to fulfill Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s avowed quest to reduce Gaza to rubble.
Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group has vowed to join the fight along with Hamas against Israel. Thousands of Gazans are fleeing their homes fearing the deadliest ground offensive by Israel they have ever witnessed in their lives. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel’s week-long retaliation against Hamas’ “surprise” attack last week was “just the beginning”.
Over a million Gazans face a 24-hour deadline on Friday to flee to the south even as many chose to stay back as Hamas has vowed to dig its heels in and fight “to the last drop of blood”.
(With inputs from the agencies)
