Northern Gaza Isolated as Israeli Campaign Intensifies, Palestinian Casualties Surpass 10,000

24

In a move to intensify the ongoing military campaign, Israeli forces have isolated northern Gaza, disconnecting it from the rest of the enclave, while subjecting the area to heavy aerial bombardments. The operation intensified overnight into Monday, signaling a possible ground offensive into the heavily populated Gaza City, which could mark an escalation in the four-week conflict.

The Health Ministry in Gaza, managed by Hamas, reported on Monday that the Palestinian death toll has exceeded 10,000. The ministry’s figures do not provide a distinction between combatants and non-combatants. In contrast, the incursion by Hamas on October 7, which ignited the current conflict, has led to approximately 1,400 Israeli deaths, with the majority being civilians.

This conflict is now the most lethal in the long history of Israeli-Palestinian hostilities since the founding of Israel 75 years ago. Despite the climbing death toll, Israel remains steadfast in its objective to dismantle Hamas’ governance and decimate its military infrastructure.

As warfare shifts to the urban battlefield, casualties are expected to climb. Israeli forces are anticipated to make their way into Gaza City imminently, according to local media. Palestinian fighters are predicted to leverage the urban terrain and their network of tunnels to mount a rigorous defense, potentially leading to street-to-street clashes.

For further reading:

• Insights on the Health Ministry of Gaza and its methodology for casualty counts during the conflict.
• A report from a UN official on the severe food shortages faced by the average Palestinian in Gaza.
• Historical context on the current Israel-Hamas war, marking it as the most fatal since 2007.

Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Richard Hecht confirmed the strategic encirclement, cutting off Hamas strongholds in the northern sector from the southern areas of Gaza.

The military executed strikes on 450 targets overnight, gaining control over a Hamas compound. A designated corridor for evacuating residents to the south has been established, but this offers little solace to the multitude of Palestinians in northern Gaza and other areas who are confronting dire shortages of food, medical supplies, and basic utilities.

The conflict has also led to a disruption in mobile and internet services, hindering communication and aid efforts, though services were slowly being restored on Monday.

Despite international pressure and U.S. attempts to broker a ceasefire or at least a humanitarian pause to facilitate aid, Israel has rebuffed these overtures. It continues to reject ceasefire demands from neighboring Arab nations, despite their historical peace accords with Israel.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a diplomatic mission in the region without concrete results, still pursuing efforts to secure a ceasefire and address the aftermath of a potential post-Hamas scenario in Gaza.

Meanwhile, the conflict’s repercussions are being felt beyond Gaza, with an exchange of fire occurring between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group along the Lebanese border. Furthermore, internal tensions are escalating, highlighted by an attack on members of Israel’s paramilitary Border Police in east Jerusalem.

Israel’s historical and ongoing territorial claims, particularly its annexation of east Jerusalem—a move unrecognized by much of the international community—continue to feed into the broader conflict narrative.

Jordan has attempted to alleviate some of the humanitarian crisis by airdropping medical supplies to northern Gaza. This initiative represents a potential new channel for aid, supplementing the already in-use Rafah crossing with Egypt.

Despite the reopening of the Rafah crossing for specific evacuations, the need for aid remains acute, with a severe water crisis looming due to infrastructure damages and fuel shortages for water pumps, as reported by the U.N. office for humanitarian affairs.

As Israeli military operations persist across Gaza, even the areas designated as safer havens have not been spared from the violence, with recent bombings leading to additional civilian casualties.

The toll of the conflict continues to rise, with a somber milestone reached by the Health Ministry of Gaza indicating over 10,000 Palestinian fatalities, including significant numbers of children and women.

Tensions extend to south Lebanon, where an Israeli airstrike resulted in civilian fatalities, prompting a review by the Israeli military and retaliatory actions by Hezbollah.

In the latest updates from Gaza, the Israeli military confirmed the elimination of a senior Hamas figure, while rocket fire into Israel by Hamas and other militant groups maintains a state of disruption and fear in communities near the conflict zones.

Contributors to this report include Magdy from Cairo, with additional insights from Big Big News journalists in Khan Younis, Jerusalem, and Beirut.

For comprehensive coverage, visit https://bigbignews.net/israel-hamas-war

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Gaza conflict

More about Gaza conflict

• Israeli-Palestinian conflict intensifies
• Gaza Health Ministry’s casualty report
• Diplomatic efforts in the Middle East
• Humanitarian crisis in Gaza
• Regional tensions and the Israel-Hezbollah clashes