Heavy fighting results in multiple fatalities in Gaza's Khan Younis

Intense Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip have resulted in numerous casualties, as fighting between soldiers and Hamas fighters continues on the ground. Witnesses have reported that tanks have surrounded a hospital and university, where thousands of displaced people are seeking shelter. Ambulances are also unable to reach the wounded. Israeli forces have been targeting Khan Younis as they believe top Hamas commanders are hiding there. The Israeli military has revealed that it found an underground compound in the city, where it believed around 20 Israeli hostages were being held. In response, families of the hostages interrupted a finance committee meeting in the Israeli parliament, demanding more action from the government to secure their release. Hamas has demanded that Israel ends the war and withdraws its forces before releasing the hostages, a demand that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected. According to the Israeli authorities, Hamas militants took approximately 250 hostages and killed 1,300 others during a cross-border attack on southern Israel on October 7. Since the Israeli military launched its campaign in response, at least 25,295 people in Gaza have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The situation in Khan Younis remains dire, with heavy Israeli bombings during the night and Israeli tanks advancing into western areas of the city in the morning. The Palestine Red Crescent Society has expressed concerns about the safety of staff, patients, and displaced civilians in the area. Ambulances are trapped, and the telecommunications blackout has hindered communication between medical staff. Nasser Hospital, the largest functioning medical facility in Gaza, has been overwhelmed. Doctors reported receiving 50 dead and over 100 wounded since the night. The al-Khair Hospital in the al-Mawasi area has also been stormed by Israeli troops. Shelling has been reported near the Al-Aqsa University, where thousands of displaced people are seeking refuge. The United Nations estimates that 1.7 million people have been displaced by the fighting, leading to increased issues of hunger and disease. The UN Secretary-General has called for an end to the violence and its devastating consequences.