Palestinians in the beleaguered Gaza Strip crammed hospitals and schools on Monday in search of refuge as supplies of food and water ran low. In anticipation of an anticipated Israeli ground invasion to crush Hamas after its fighters rampaged through southern Israel, more than a million residents had evacuated their homes.
All eyes were on the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, where trucks bringing desperately needed relief had been waiting for days while mediators push for a cease-fire that would allow them to enter Gaza and allow foreigners to leave, as the enclave’s supplies of food, water, and medication decreased. Due to Israeli bombings, Rafah, Gaza’s only route to Egypt, was cut off about a week ago.
Israel, according to Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, ‘has not taken a position to open the crossing from the Gaza side.’ An inquiry for comment was not answered by the Israeli government.
Israel was preparing for the possibility of a new front springing up on its northern border with Lebanon, where it has frequently exchanged fire with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah organisation, in anticipation of a foot invasion of Gaza. Residents of 28 Israeli communities were told to leave by the military.
Don’t challenge us in the north, Benjamin Netanyahu urged Iran and Hezbollah in a Monday speech to the Israeli Knesset. Avoid repeating the error of the past. In reference to Israel’s 2006 battle with Hezbollah, he said, ‘Today, the price you will pay will be even worse.’
Numerous Palestinians seeking refuge in UN buildings survive on less than 1 litre (1 quart) of water each day. With emergency generators that power equipment like ventilators and incubators down to approximately one day of fuel and drug supplies practically gone, hospitals warn that they are on the edge of collapsing.
More Palestinians have been injured and killed in recent combat than in the nearly six-week-long conflict in 2014, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which reported 2,750 deaths and 9,700 injuries. For both sides, this makes it the bloodiest of the five Gaza wars.
In the attack by Hamas on October 7, more than 1,400 Israelis have died, the vast majority of them civilians. In contrast to earlier figures, the Israeli military reported on Monday that at least 199 hostages had been returned to Gaza. The military did not indicate if foreigners are included in that number.
As Palestinian militants continue to fire rockets into Israel, Israeli airstrikes have completely destroyed entire neighbourhoods. Israel is anticipated to begin a ground offensive to eliminate Hamas commanders, liberate hostages, and destroy the organization’s military infrastructure, much of which is located in residential neighbourhoods.
Fighting on a street-by-street basis would probably result in rising casualties on both sides.
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