-
-
-
Loading
Loading
In southern Gaza, Israel has conducted a series of airstrikes on Khan Younis, which residents have described as the most intense bombing of the conflict. The Israeli military has instructed people in the eastern areas of the city to move further south to evacuate. Israel believes that some Hamas leaders are hiding in Khan Younis, where many civilians have sought shelter after fleeing the northern part of Gaza. The recent wave of Israeli attacks has resulted in at least 193 deaths, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) resumed their offensive against Hamas in Gaza on Friday, as a response to the attacks in Israel on October 7th, which caused the deaths of approximately 1,200 people. The death toll in Gaza has now surpassed 15,200 people, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. After a temporary ceasefire collapsed, Israel's bombardment of Gaza resumed, with over 400 Hamas "terror targets" hit on the first day of the renewed operation. Khan Younis and the city of Rafah, situated on the border with Egypt, experienced heavy airstrikes, and the next phase of the offensive is expected to focus on southern Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought refuge in the area after being instructed to flee the northern territory, which was the primary target for Israel in the early stages of the war. The IDF's spokesperson, who communicates in Arabic, shared maps on social media indicating the areas that civilians should evacuate. People in areas east of Khan Younis were directed to move south to shelters in Rafah, suggesting that a ground offensive may be imminent. Hospitals, already operating with limited resources due to weeks of fighting, were overwhelmed with casualties. At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, some patients had to be treated on the floor. One resident, Samira, described the night as "a night of horror" and expressed fear of Israel entering Khan Younis. On Saturday, around 50 trucks carrying aid were permitted to enter Gaza from Egypt, following a day with no supplies delivered. Aid agencies had previously warned that Gaza's 2.3 million people required approximately 100 aid trucks per day. However, talks to establish another temporary ceasefire and secure the release of individuals kidnapped on October 7th, who are still in Gaza, fell apart on Friday. The negotiations were said to be completely stalled, with no attempts or contact made to reach a new truce. In response to the impasse, Israel withdrew its negotiators from the Mossad intelligence service out of the talks in Qatar, which has been acting as a mediator. US Vice-President Kamala Harris, during a meeting with Egypt's president, stated that the United States would not allow the forced relocation of Palestinians, the siege of Gaza, or the redrawing of Gaza's borders under any circumstances. She also reiterated the US position that Israel has the right to defend itself. During a meeting in Dubai, Harris told Abdul Fattah al-Sisi that peace efforts could only succeed if there is a clear political vision for the Palestinian people towards an autonomous state led by a reinvigorated Palestinian Authority. The initial phase of the temporary ceasefire resulted in the release of over 100 women and child hostages from Gaza in exchange for the liberation of 240 Palestinian prisoners, mostly women and teenagers. The remaining approximately 140 hostages in Gaza are predominantly men and military personnel, and Hamas is reportedly opposed to releasing them under the same conditions as the previous agreement. Some hostages, including Thai workers and Russian citizens, were also released separately from the deal.