Israeli airstrikes continue to intensify in the Gaza Strip, following a scorched earth policy in response to Hamas's "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood" launched on October 7. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported a large number of casualties from an Israeli airstrike on the Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza, with Palestinian media reporting that 110 people were killed as a result of Israeli bombardment on Gaza last night. This morning, Hamas announced that at least 140 people were killed in the nighttime Israeli shelling.
Prior to that, Palestinian media reported renewed Israeli strikes in Jabalia and the Al-Qarara area in Khan Younis in the early hours of the morning. There were reports that Israeli airstrikes hit a fuel station near the city of Rafah in the southern part of the Strip. Palestinian media reported that 23 people were killed, including children, and over 45 others were injured and taken to Nasser Hospital due to Israeli strikes that targeted several residential homes and a fuel station in central and eastern Khan Younis. It was also reported that more than 30 people were killed and dozens injured in similar Israeli bombardment targeting inhabited residential homes in Rafah governorate.
The region witnessed a new bloody night from north to south due to the ongoing air raids. At the same time, media reported heavy and continuous artillery shelling in areas near the northern Gaza border. Meanwhile, member of Hamas's political leadership, Ra'fat Morra, confirmed in a special interview that the Israeli army is committing massacres and violating international law in full view of the entire world, urging Arab nations to act swiftly to stop the genocide being perpetrated by the Israeli army. Morra also stated that Palestinian factions are coordinating their operations in Gaza and are capable of steadfastness and responding to aggression.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson stated on Tuesday that any ceasefire in the Gaza Strip would provide Hamas with a "break" to resume attacks on Israel. The statement from spokesperson Matthew Miller, delivered during a press briefing, emphasized that "what we will continue to do is focus on delivering aid to Gaza," noting that any ceasefire in the escalation that began on October 7 would mean "continued suffering for Israel." He added, "We have seen shipments (of aid) entering intensively to establish regular mechanisms for delivering humanitarian assistance, and we are working on creating places where civilians can feel safe inside Gaza."
