GAZA CITY: Israel’s unyielding aerial assaults on the Gaza Strip entered their fourth consecutive day, leaving civilians in a state of panic and desperation. The intensifying conflict comes after Hamas, the group governing the besieged enclave, launched a surprise attack on Israel, sending thousands of rockets and fighters across the border.
The Israeli relentless bombardment has martyred at least 770 innocent Palestinians, including dozens of children, and left approximately 4,000 others wounded. With Israel conducting more than 200 air raids overnight on Tuesday, Palestinians in Gaza faced the terrifying challenge of finding shelter in the densely populated and besieged territory, home to 2.3 million people.
Gaza residents described scenes of chaos and fear as they fled their homes seeking safety. Shadi al-Hassi, a resident, recounted his experience, saying, “I ran away from home at 1 am with my child and my wife. We escaped from being targeted and came to another targeted place. There is no safe place in the Gaza Strip.”
Amidst the bombardment, Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City witnessed frantic efforts by medical workers and relatives to bring the wounded, including many children, for treatment. The hospital’s healthcare workers were overwhelmed, struggling to cope with the influx of patients. The morgue, unable to accommodate the rising number of casualties, set up makeshift extensions, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Israel declared a “total blockade” on the territory, severing essential supplies of food, water, fuel, and electricity. Such actions, aimed at starving the population, are considered war crimes under United Nations statutes. The dire conditions were exacerbated by power cuts, with Gaza having only received four hours of electricity in the past two days. The sole power plant in the region warned it could operate for a maximum of two more days. There are concerns that Israel’s call-up of 300,000 reservists indicates plans for a ground offensive into Gaza.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 13 attacks have targeted health facilities since the conflict began. Pre-positioned medical supplies have been rapidly depleted, exacerbating the healthcare crisis. WHO has urgently called for an end to the violence and the establishment of a humanitarian corridor to deliver critical medical supplies to the Gaza Strip.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) revealed that nearly 200,000 people, nearly a tenth of Gaza’s population, have been displaced due to the escalating conflict. Most of the displaced individuals have sought shelter in schools, further underscoring the urgent need for humanitarian assistance in the region.
The blockade imposed on Gaza by Israel, in place since June 2007, has significantly exacerbated the crisis, with Israel controlling the enclave’s airspace, territorial waters, and border crossings, except one controlled by Egypt.
