Escalating Violence in Gaza: Civilians Bear the Brunt as Attacks Continue
At least 20 more Palestinians have died in a devastating day in Gaza, following Israeli strikes that targeted a bustling market and a school sheltering the displaced. According to reports from Al Jazeera, at least eight individuals lost their lives in an attack on a crowded market in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza, with fears that the death toll could rise.
Eyewitnesses described a busy street filled with traffic, leading to high casualties. Al Jazeera's correspondent, Hind Khoudary, emphasized that many of the injured were children, with many being rushed to Al-Aqsa Hospital. "We saw them in the hospital, in the corridors, lying on the ground covered in blood and waiting for doctors," Khoudary recounted, painting a harrowing picture of the situation on the ground.
Earlier that same day, an Israeli airstrike hit a school in the west of Gaza City, claiming 12 lives and wounding numerous others. Emergency crews are still searching for survivors amidst the rubble of the collapsed building. Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for Gaza's civil defense agency, reported that their teams managed to recover 12 bodies from the Mustafa Hafiz school, which was hosting around 700 displaced individuals at the time of the strike.
The Israeli military justified the attack by claiming it targeted a command center utilized by Palestinian fighters under the cover of the school. However, critics note that the military has repeatedly targeted civilian structures, including schools and hospitals, without providing supporting evidence for their claims. This line of action occurs amidst a backdrop of a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, which has been ignored.
The violent offensive on Gaza since October 7 has resulted in over 40,170 Palestinian deaths, predominantly among women and children, and has injured nearly 92,740 others, according to local health authorities. The humanitarian situation continues to worsen, with hospitals in Gaza warning of imminent collapse due to the relentless bombardment.
In a parallel development, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a diplomatic mission visiting Egypt and Qatar to mediate in the ongoing crisis. Despite these efforts, Hamas has accused the United States of bias towards Israel in ceasefire negotiations, arguing that Blinken’s statements about Hamas backing away from a proposed deal are misleading. Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan asserted that they remain committed to a ceasefire framework backed by the U.S. and UN, while relaying that the current proposals are largely unfavorable to Palestinian interests.
While the violence continues to escalate, the toll on civilians in Gaza remains dire, with every day marking further loss of life and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
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