Israeli forces have intensified their military operations in the Gaza Strip, with tanks advancing deep into the central Gaza town of Bureij and airstrikes resulting in significant casualties in the south. This escalation follows weeks of relentless bombardment, leading to a new wave of displacement among Palestinian families.
In Bureij, a journalist captured images of Israeli tanks positioned near a mosque, indicating their advance from the eastern outskirts. Concurrently, an Israeli missile strike in the northeastern Maghazi camp resulted in three Palestinian deaths. These developments have heightened fears of a broader ground offensive in densely populated areas.
In a particularly devastating airstrike in Rafah, near Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, 20 Palestinians were killed, and 55 were injured. The target, a building housing displaced civilians, was completely destroyed, with rescuers frantically searching through rubble for survivors, including children.
The Palestinian health ministry has reported a significant rise in casualties, with 210 people killed in Israeli strikes in the past 24 hours alone. The total number of Palestinian casualties in the ongoing conflict has reached 21,320, nearly 1% of Gaza’s population, with many more feared dead or buried in ruins.
Palestinians mourn relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip outside a morgue in Khan Younis on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. AP Photo/Mohammed Dahman
Israeli military officials have expressed regret for civilian deaths but maintain that Hamas militants use civilian areas for operations, a claim that Hamas denies. Despite international pleas for de-escalation, Israel has escalated its ground offensive sharply, particularly since just before Christmas.
The conflict began with a cross-border raid by Hamas on October 7, during which 1,200 people were killed, and approximately 240 hostages were taken. Of these hostages, 110 were released during a truce in late November, and 23 have since been declared dead.
In Khan Younis, Gaza’s main southern city, heavy bombardment by Israeli forces has also been reported, with strikes near al-Amal hospital causing significant casualties. This has led to concerns that Israeli forces are attempting to trigger a new exodus ahead of further ground assaults.
The conflict has taken a heavy toll on both sides, with Israel reporting the deaths of 169 soldiers in the ground campaign. The war has driven virtually all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents from their homes at least once, severely impacting the region’s infrastructure and healthcare system.
In response to a particularly deadly airstrike on December 24 in the Maghazi refugee camp, which killed 70 people, the Israeli military expressed regret for the unintended harm to civilians and is reportedly conducting an inquiry to draw conclusions and learn lessons from the event. The Palestinian health ministry has condemned the attack as a massacre.
