A Great Fresh Attack On Gaza Leaves 100 Persons Dead
On Saturday, the Israeli military announced the initiation of extensive airstrikes as part of a renewed offensive in Gaza, following reports from rescuers indicating that 100 individuals had lost their lives in the besieged Palestinian territory. The army communicated via Telegram that the offensive, designated as Operation Gideon’s Chariots, had entered its initial phases. This operation aims to expand military efforts in the Gaza Strip to fulfill all objectives of the conflict, including the rescue of hostages and the defeat of Hamas, as stated in an Arabic post. An additional statement in English, reported by AFP, indicated that the army was mobilizing troops to establish operational control in various regions of the Gaza Strip.
According to Gaza’s civil defense agency, Israeli airstrikes resulted in 100 fatalities on Friday, while the military claimed to have targeted over 150 sites associated with terrorism across the Gaza Strip within a 24-hour period. The military campaign in Gaza resumed on March 18 after a two-month ceasefire, which followed an attack by Hamas in October 2023. This latest military action occurs amid growing pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to lift a comprehensive aid blockade on Gaza, as non-governmental organizations have raised alarms about severe shortages of food, clean water, fuel, and medical supplies. The resumption of hostilities since March 18 has faced international criticism, with the UN’s human rights chief condemning the renewed assaults and suggesting an apparent intent to permanently displace the local population.
– ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ –
The recent wave of bombings and the obstruction of humanitarian aid highlight a concerning effort to instigate a lasting demographic change in Gaza, which contravenes international law and equates to ethnic cleansing, stated Volker Turk in a formal declaration. The primary Israeli advocacy group for hostage families expressed that Prime Minister Netanyahu is forgoing a ‘historic opportunity’ to secure the release of their relatives through diplomatic means by prolonging the conflict.
On Friday, Hamas urged the United States to pressure Israel into lifting the aid blockade in exchange for the release of a US-Israeli hostage. Edan Alexander, the last surviving hostage with US citizenship, was released last week following direct negotiations with the Trump administration, which effectively sidelined Israel. According to senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu, as part of the agreement with Washington regarding Alexander’s release, the group is ‘awaiting and expecting the US administration to exert further pressure’ on Israel ‘to open the crossings and permit the immediate entry of humanitarian aid.’ Israel contends that its decision to halt aid to Gaza aims to compel Hamas to make concessions, as the group continues to hold numerous Israeli hostages taken during the attack on October 7, 2023.
– ‘People Are Starving’ –
On Friday, US President Donald Trump recognized that many individuals are suffering from hunger in the besieged Palestinian territory. ‘We are examining the situation in Gaza and will address it accordingly,’ Trump stated to reporters in Abu Dhabi during a regional tour that notably did not include key ally Israel. The Arab League is scheduled to convene in Baghdad on Saturday to deliberate on regional crises, with Gaza anticipated to be a significant topic of discussion.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will participate in the summit, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who has been vocal in his criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza, is expected to speak as a guest. The Hamas assault on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of 1,218 individuals on the Israeli side, predominantly civilians, according to an AFP count based on official statistics. Of the 251 hostages taken during the assault, 57 are still in Gaza, with the military reporting that 34 of them are deceased. The health ministry in the Hamas-controlled region has reported that 2,985 individuals have lost their lives since Israel resumed airstrikes on March 18, bringing the total death toll of the conflict to 53,119.
