Israeli Troops Enter Gaza Strip in Response to Hamas Attack
In the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas militants, Israeli troops have entered the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared this as the “next stage” of Israel’s war against Hamas in response to a brutal terror attack launched by the militant group on October 7. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released video footage showing soldiers entering Gaza from the north after a weekend of intense airstrikes.
Health officials in Gaza have reported that over 8,300 people, including more than 3,400 children, have lost their lives in the three-week-long Israeli artillery and missile strikes. Israel maintains that it is solely targeting Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza, placing the blame for civilian casualties on Hamas for using the civilian population as shields and sparking the war.
According to Israel, the initial Hamas attack and ongoing rocket fire have resulted in over 1,400 deaths since October 7. Determined to show his control over the war, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops over the weekend, expressing his support and referring to them as “surrounded by a sea of love.”
The Israeli military released grainy video footage showing soldiers conducting an operation to eliminate Hamas militants who had barricaded themselves inside buildings and tunnels underneath Gaza. However, not all Israelis agree with the government’s approach to the war. Reoma Kedem, who lost her daughter and grandchildren in a Hamas attack, joined a protest in Ashdod expressing her anger toward Netanyahu and the government’s handling of the conflict.
Despite the IDF’s promise that the war with Hamas would bring about a “new security reality” for Israelis, many in the country believe that Netanyahu and his far-right leadership coalition are preventing the peace that has eluded the nation since its creation.
Tension has also been rising in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with four Palestinians being killed in clashes with Israeli forces within the last 24 hours. Solidarity protests in support of those trapped in Gaza have taken place regularly. The Palestinian Authority’s Health Ministry reported that almost 330 Palestinians have died in clashes with Israeli forces since October 7.
Palestinian teenager Yazan Najjar expressed his frustration, stating that the children of Gaza have been forgotten by the world. The 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza have no safe haven from the ongoing Israeli attacks and are facing shortages of basic necessities such as food, water, and medicine. Aid agencies have criticized the limited truck convoys allowed into Gaza, calling for a broader opening of the border to facilitate humanitarian aid.
The desperation has led some to break into a United Nations warehouse over the weekend to obtain essential supplies. CBS News producer Marwan Al-Ghoul, who is trapped in Gaza, witnessed the destruction caused by Israeli airstrikes, with children searching for victims in the rubble.
Medical services are overwhelmed, with ambulances rushing from one demolished area to another to rescue critically injured civilians. Many civilians have sought refuge in hospitals, but the Israeli military has repeatedly ordered them to evacuate, claiming that Hamas is using these facilities as bases and human shields.
Calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza are growing louder. However, while U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and various countries have urged Israel to prioritize the protection of civilians, no official ceasefire has been declared. The situation in Gaza remains dire, with civilians living in constant fear and pleading for an end to the violence.