With Israel pledging to continue the war that has entered its 81st day in Gaza for several more months, intense airstrikes have escalated in the densely populated central and southern regions of the strip. The Israeli army began its ground operation in the Al-Bureij camp in the central region, launching from the Maqboola military site and Abed Al-Khalq Street. The camp was bombarded with incendiary munitions, and Israeli artillery targeted residential homes and buildings.
Additionally, Israel launched fierce airstrikes on various areas in Khan Younis, the largest city in the south, where it is believed that Hamas leaders are hiding in tunnels beneath. The airstrikes coincided with violent clashes between Palestinian factions and the Israeli army in Khan Younis. Early on Tuesday, Palestinian residents reported several airstrikes near Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the largest medical facility in southern Gaza, according to Reuters.
Days prior, the Israeli army renewed its calls for residents in several areas of central Gaza, including the Al-Bureij camp, to evacuate and head south, signaling its intent to expand its ground invasion into northern Gaza. It is noteworthy that the southern areas where Israel urged displaced individuals to go have also been subjected to bombing.
This situation has been repeatedly confirmed by the United Nations, as reiterated yesterday by a UN official working in the region for weeks. Gemma Connell, who leads a humanitarian team affiliated with the UN, stated that the strip has become a "human chessboard" where thousands of people, already displaced multiple times, are fleeing without assurance of safe destinations. Connell, who serves as head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, visited the Deir al-Balah neighborhood in central Gaza on Monday, saying, "There is very little space left in Rafah, to the extent that people do not know where to go. It feels like people are being moved around a human chessboard because there’s an evacuation order somewhere."
Meanwhile, Washington has been pressuring its ally Israel for weeks to take additional steps to minimize civilian harm by identifying safe areas and opening humanitarian corridors for people to escape. However, the death toll continues to rise as Israeli operations intensify amidst a scarcity of humanitarian and medical aid entering the strip, which is home to about 2.3 million Palestinians.
