Gaza Under Siege: Deadly Airstrikes Intensify as Peace Talks Falter

Wednesday 17 July 2024 - 13:30

In a devastating escalation of the ongoing conflict, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) airstrikes have claimed at least 60 lives across the Gaza Strip, including attacks on a school sheltering displaced individuals and a designated "humanitarian zone." These strikes occur against the backdrop of stalling ceasefire negotiations in a war that has now raged for nearly 10 months.

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported 17 fatalities following a bombing near a petrol station in Mawasi, a coastal area teeming with displaced persons that Israel had previously designated as an evacuation zone. In a separate incident, medics at a nearby hospital confirmed that 16 individuals lost their lives when the UN-run al-Awda school in the Nuseirat refugee camp was targeted. The IOF asserted that "Hamas militants were present at the school," though this claim remains unverified.

While the IOF did not immediately comment on the Mawasi strike, they confirmed that approximately 40 targets in Gaza were hit on Tuesday. These included sniper and observation posts, military facilities, and buildings allegedly rigged with explosives.

The armed factions of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad reported engaging IOF in various locations using anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs. Islamic Jihad's armed wing claimed responsibility for missile strikes on Sderot in southern Israel, although no damage or casualties were reported.

The past fortnight has seen some of the most intense bombardments in months. One of the deadliest strikes targeted Mohammed Deif, Hamas's military commander, in Mawasi on Saturday, resulting in over 90 deaths. It remains unclear whether Deif, a long-standing target for Israel, was among the casualties.

On Tuesday, the IOF announced that it had "neutralized" approximately half of the Hamas leadership in Gaza and 14,000 soldiers since the beginning of the conflict. However, these claims have not been independently verified.

The health ministry in Gaza reports staggering casualties, with more than 38,400 Palestinians killed and 89,097 injured in Israel's bombardments. A report from the British journal The Lancet suggests the total death toll could be as high as 186,000, including those still trapped under rubble.

As the conflict persists, Gaza's 2.3 million residents face an increasingly dire humanitarian crisis, grappling with severe shortages of food, water, medicine, and shelter. The international community continues to call for an immediate ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of civilians caught in the crossfire.

This ongoing tragedy underscores the urgent need for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, as the human cost of the war continues to mount with each passing day.