GAZA: The Israeli military has launched an intensified operation in Gaza, killing at least 10 people on Saturday in fresh strikes.
The army announced that it had started the “initial stages” of the new operation, part of “the expansion of the battle in the Gaza Strip, with the goal of achieving all the war’s objectives, including the release of the abducted and the defeat of Hamas”.
It announced extensive strikes and transferred forces to seize control of areas within the Gaza Strip.
Gaza death toll jumps to 53,272
The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that the bodies of 153 people killed in Israeli attacks were brought to hospitals across the region in the past 24 hours. According to a statement posted on Telegram, this figure includes seven bodies recovered from under the rubble of earlier airstrikes.
Another 459 injuries were registered over the last 24-hour reporting period, the ministry said.
The figures bring the number of people killed in Gaza since the start of the war to 53,272, with 120,673 others wounded, according to the ministry
UN Chief alarmed
Meanwhile, addressing a gathering of the Arab League in Baghdad, United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said he was “alarmed by reported plans by Israel to expand ground operations and more”.
“We need a permanent ceasefire, now,” he told the summit.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, a vocal critic of Israel’s conduct in the ongoing war, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for intensified efforts to end the violence.
Speaking at the summit, Sánchez urged world leaders to “intensify our pressure on Israel to halt the massacre in Gaza, particularly through the channels afforded to us by international law.” He stressed that the “unacceptable number” of casualties violated the “principle of humanity.”
Gaza Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal reported that 10 bodies were brought to hospitals following airstrikes on Saturday morning.
It is pertinent to mention that Israel resumed its military offensive in Gaza on March 18, ending a two-month truce in its war against Hamas.
Hamas demands pressure on Israel
Hamas on Friday asked the United States to put pressure on Israel to lift the aid blockade in return for a US-Israeli hostage recently released by the group.
Edan Alexander, the last remaining hostage with US citizenship, was released following direct engagement by the Trump administration, reportedly with limited involvement from Israel.
