The Israeli military has continued its bombardments in Gaza City ahead of a planned offensive to take full control of the area. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 123 people were killed in the last 24 hours, marking the highest casualty figure recorded in a single day in a week.
The war between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian group designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, is nearing its second year.
Netanyahu Urges Palestinian Displacement as Attacks Intensify
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated a controversial idea that Palestinians should leave Gaza. “They are not being expelled, they will be allowed to leave,” he told the Israeli TV channel i24NEWS. He added that those who are concerned for the Palestinians should “open their doors and not lecture us.”
The idea of displacing Gaza’s population of 2 million is widely opposed by Arab and many world leaders. For Palestinians, such an event would be a repeat of the “Nakba” (catastrophe) of 1948, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced or expelled.
The planned Israeli offensive to retake Gaza City is expected to happen in a few weeks, according to officials, leaving a window for a potential ceasefire despite stalled negotiations.
In the meantime, Israeli planes and tanks heavily attacked various areas in Gaza City, destroying homes overnight. Medical sources reported that 12 people were killed when a house was struck in the Zeitun neighborhood. Another attack in Khan Younis killed eight Palestinians who were waiting in line for aid, though the Israeli army has not commented on that incident.
Death Toll from Starvation Rises
The Gaza Health Ministry also reported that eight more people, including three children, have died from starvation and malnutrition in the past 24 hours. The total death toll from these causes since the war began is now 235 people, including 106 children.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, after a Hamas attack on southern Israel killed nearly 1,200 people and resulted in the kidnapping of 251 others. The subsequent Israeli offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza—a figure the UN considers credible.
