- An Israeli commander reported that the army was almost finished with its mission in the north.
- In November, Israel took control of the northern portion of Gaza.
- Hastings declared, “There are no conditions necessary to deliver aid to the people of Gaza.”
Near Khan Younis, in the southern portion of the Gaza Strip, Israeli tanks, armored personnel carriers, and bulldozers have entered. An Israeli commander reported that the army was almost finished with its mission in the north.
According to Moaz Mohammed, a witness, Israeli military vehicles were “firing bullets and tank shells at cars and people trying to move through the area” on the southern portion of Gaza’s main north-south road. This was reported to the AFP news agency.
Israel-Hamas
In November, Israel took control of the northern portion of Gaza. Following the breakdown of a week-long ceasefire on Friday, they quickly advanced far into the southern half.
The military wing of Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas, told Reuters that its fighters were fighting fierce battles with Israeli soldiers to the north and east of Khan Younis, the main city in southern Gaza.
Residents told Reuters that Israeli tanks had crossed the border into Gaza, cutting off the main route north-south. The main road leading north from Khan Younis “constitutes a battlefield,” according to the Israeli military, which is why it has been closed.
It’s at this time that the UN is expressing concerns about Gaza’s future. According to the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories Lynn Hastings, “an even more hellish scenario” involving the complete cessation of humanitarian aid in Gaza is imminent.
According to Hastings, there are no requirements for providing aid to the people of Gaza, and there is nowhere safe to go.
At the UN, Secretary-General António Guterres pleaded with Israel to refrain from taking any more steps that would exacerbate the humanitarian situation in Hamas-controlled Gaza and spare civilians more agony.
