Thousands Raid UN Warehouses for Supplies as Palestinian Death Toll Exceeds 8,000 Amid Israel’s Expanded Military Operations

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In a stark indication of mounting desperation and social instability, thousands of individuals forced their way into United Nations relief depots in Gaza to seize essential items such as flour and sanitary supplies, according to a statement by a UN agency on Sunday. This development occurs three weeks into the ongoing armed conflict between Israel and the militant organization Hamas, which governs Gaza.

As Israeli ground forces extended their campaign into Gaza over the weekend, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the initiation of a “second phase” of military operations. This came in response to a severe assault by Hamas into Israeli territory three weeks ago. Israeli forces have not only advanced on land but also continued aerial and naval bombardments.

The Health Ministry in Gaza has reported that the conflict has led to the deaths of over 8,000 Palestinians, a majority of whom are women and children. This grim statistic is projected to escalate as Israel intensifies its ground-based operations.

Civilian telecommunications were severely disrupted due to heavy artillery fire over the weekend, which residents of Gaza described as the most severe since the commencement of the hostilities. By early Sunday, some communications had been restored.

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The Israeli Defense Forces announced that they had targeted over 450 militant positions in the past day, which included command centers, observation outposts, and launch sites for anti-tank missiles. Additional ground troops were deployed into Gaza overnight.

Thomas White, representing the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), highlighted that the raids on the UN warehouses indicate a concerning collapse of social order after three weeks of warfare and tight blockades. “The situation is teetering on the edge of chaos; people are living in fear and desperation,” he noted.

UNRWA has been providing fundamental services to several hundreds of thousands of individuals in Gaza. Many of its educational institutions have been repurposed as overcrowded shelters for those displaced due to the violence. Israel has permitted only minimal humanitarian aid to enter Gaza via Egypt, some of which was stored in the looted depots, as stated by UNRWA.

Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for UNRWA, disclosed that the crowd had forcibly entered four separate facilities on the preceding day. She clarified that these depots did not hold any fuel, which has been critically scarce since Israel ceased all shipments at the onset of hostilities.

Residents residing near Gaza’s principal medical facility, Shifa Hospital, reported that Israeli airstrikes had landed close to the hospital complex and obstructed multiple routes leading to it. Israel has accused Hamas of maintaining concealed operational bases underneath the hospital, although supporting evidence has not been widely provided.

The Israeli military has publicized computer-rendered images purporting to show Hamas facilities in the vicinity of Shifa Hospital. However, these claims could not be independently corroborated. Hamas authorities refuted these allegations, labeling them as pretexts for future assaults on the facility.

Tensions continue to mount on both sides, and the casualties are expected to rise significantly as combat intensifies in densely populated regions. Despite the extensive Israeli military actions, rocket attacks from Palestinian militants into Israeli territory persist, keeping southern Israel on high alert.

According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, the death toll has now risen to over 8,000 since the conflict began. Hospitals are grappling to maintain emergency power supplies to operate vital medical equipment, while UNRWA is striving to keep water pumps and bakeries operational to meet the most basic human needs.

Contributions to this report were made by reporters located in Cairo, Jerusalem, and other locations.

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