Israel has carried out dozens of airstrikes on Gaza, while Hamas continued to launch rocket attacks on Israeli cities as the fighting entered its second week on Monday. International calls for a ceasefire have increased, yet there are no signs of an end to the worst fighting in years between Israel and Hamas, which governs the enclave. Witnesses reported that the Israeli attacks, seemingly focused on Gaza City, targeted roads, security buildings, militant training camps, and homes. Loud explosions echoed throughout many areas of the Palestinian territory during the night.
The Israeli military stated that its aircraft bombed nine residences belonging to senior Hamas leaders after rockets were fired at the Israeli cities of Be'er Sheva and Ashkelon. It added that some of the homes were used for storing weapons. To date, there have been no reports of casualties on either side.
Global concern has already heightened following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza that destroyed several homes on Sunday, with health officials in the enclave stating that it resulted in the deaths of 42 Palestinians, including ten children, while rocket attacks on Israeli towns continued. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated Washington's calls for calm, tweeting, "All parties should de-escalate tensions, and violence must stop immediately." This followed his conversation with his Egyptian counterpart regarding the ongoing violence in Israel, Gaza, and the occupied West Bank.
During a United Nations Security Council meeting on Sunday, the U.S. clarified that it had communicated to Israel, the Palestinians, and other parties that it was ready to provide support "if both sides sought a ceasefire." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the Israeli campaign in Gaza would continue "with full force," emphasizing the need for Israel to restore its deterrence to prevent future conflict with Hamas. Netanyahu added in a televised speech, "What we are doing now, and will continue to do as long as necessary, is to restore calm for you, Israeli citizens. This will take time."
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that the death toll in the enclave has risen to 197, including 58 children and 34 women. Israeli authorities reported ten deaths in Israel, including two children. Hamas had commenced the rocket attack last Monday following weeks of tension spurred by a legal case to evict several Palestinian families in East Jerusalem and in response to clashes between Israeli police and Palestinians near Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan.
### Permanent De-escalation
U.S. President Joe Biden stated that his administration was working with all parties to achieve a permanent de-escalation. In a video message broadcast on Eid al-Fitr on Sunday, he said, "We also see that Palestinians and Israelis alike deserve to live in safety and peace and enjoy equal degrees of freedom, prosperity, and democracy."
In New York, UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the fighting in Israel and Gaza as "extremely alarming" and called for an immediate end to hostilities. He added that the UN was "pushing all parties strongly towards an immediate ceasefire" and urged everyone to "allow mediation efforts to progress and succeed." Washington remained isolated at the UN due to its objection to a public statement from the Security Council regarding the ongoing violence, arguing that it could harm ongoing diplomacy behind the scenes.
A growing number of U.S. senators called for a ceasefire on Sunday. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy and Republican Senator Todd Young stated in a joint statement, "Both sides must recognize that far too many lives have been lost, and escalation of the conflict must not occur." A separate similar statement was issued by 25 other Democratic members of the Senate and two independent senators calling for a ceasefire.
Jordanian King Abdullah stated that his country is currently engaged in intensive diplomatic communications to halt what he described as Israeli military escalation. The Israeli military reported that Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by Israel, the U.S., and the EU, along with other armed factions, had launched over 2,800 rockets from the enclave over the past week. The military noted that this number exceeds half of the rockets fired during the 51-day Gaza War in 2014 and that this bombardment was even more intense than that by Hezbollah against Israel during the 2006 conflict.
The Israeli missile defense system intercepted many of those rockets, although some did not reach their targets or crossed the border. Hamas stated that its recent attacks were in response to what it termed ongoing aggression against civilians, including the airstrike on Gaza City on Sunday, which destroyed several homes. The Israeli military claimed civilian casualties were unintended, stating that its aircraft targeted a network of tunnels used by militants, which collapsed and resulted in the destruction of homes. Hamas described this as "premeditated killing."
Netanyahu defended an Israeli airstrike on Saturday that destroyed a 12-story building housing offices for the Associated Press and Al Jazeera, stating that the building contained a Hamas intelligence office and thus was a legitimate target. He added that Israel conveyed information to U.S. authorities regarding the building. An intelligence official in the U.S. did not respond to a request for comment. Israel had previously issued warnings to occupants of the building to evacuate. The Associated Press condemned the strike and requested Israel to provide evidence of Hamas's presence in the building.
