- Residents of the Gaza Strip’s southern region have been advised to evacuate by Israeli officers.
- The densely populated enclave had gone dark late Friday due to Israel’s intensifying ground operations.
- Ground forces have been sent into Gaza, and air, sea, and ground attacks have intensified.
Residents of the Gaza Strip’s southern region have been advised to evacuate by Israeli officer Colonel Elad Goren of Cogat, dubbed a “humanitarian” zone. Aid to Gaza will be increased in the coming days, according to the Israeli Defence Ministry agency that works with the Palestinians.
After extensive Israeli bombardment caused cellular and internet service to vanish for the majority of Gaza, the besieged territory saw a resurgence of online connectivity.
Ground operations
The densely populated enclave had gone dark late Friday due to Israel’s intensifying ground operations; this was a major relief.
With the deployment of ground forces into Gaza and stepped-up air, ground, and sea attacks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared on Saturday that Israel had launched a “second stage” in its war against Hamas. He advised the Israelis to get ready for a “long and hard” war.
In the upcoming days, Israel intends to expand its aid to Gaza and advises Palestinian civilians to flee to a “humanitarian” zone located in the southern part of the region. The Israeli military has initiated the “second stage” of the conflict, according to Colonel Elad Goren of Cogat, the Israeli Defense Ministry agency that works with the Palestinians.
Ground forces have been sent into Gaza, and air, sea, and ground attacks have intensified. A ceasefire does not appear to be in the cards, despite requests from the UN and the growing toll of civilian casualties.
US President Joe Biden has urged Tel Aviv to resist losing its cool in the wake of the Hamas attack. He made the analogy between Washington’s predicament following the 9/11 attacks and Israel’s following the October 7 massacre of over 1,300 American citizens.
A settler acting in self-defense killed a Palestinian man, and a settler acting in self-defense killed another Palestinian man. Both incidents occurred close to the West Bank city of Nablus. In the Gaza Strip, thousands of people broke into UNRWA warehouses and distribution centers, stealing basic survival supplies and flour. Israeli authorities have also issued warnings to the Palestinian Red Crescent to evacuate the Al-Quds hospital.
Along with recognizing the urgency of reestablishing peace and stability in the region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi spoke about the growing security and humanitarian crisis brought on by the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Concerns about terrorism, violence, civilian casualties, and the necessity of facilitating humanitarian aid for those impacted were conveyed by both leaders.
