Amid fears that the Israel-Hamas war could grow into a wider conflict in the Middle East, Israeli forces bombarded Gaza early Monday and struck the surroundings of two hospitals, agencies reported. Israeli aircraft also struck two Hezbollah cells inside Lebanon. The cells, located near the border town of Mattat, were planning to “launch anti-tank missiles and rockets towards Israel', the army stated.
A strike on a house near a refugee camp in northern Gaza reportedly killed several Palestinians and wounded others. According to the Health Ministry in Gaza, over 4,600 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the war on October 7. The ministry said those killed included 1,873 children.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened a meeting of his cabinet and war generals to assess the escalating conflict. Calling for civilians to leave the northern parts of the Gaza strip, Israel military has confirmed ramping up its aerial bombardment of Gaza.
'No more Hamas'
Speaking after an operational briefing, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the offensive in Gaza “may take a month, two or three, but at the end there will be no more Hamas”. Hinting at the full-scale ground invasion, the minister said that the next stage will come soon.
Amid US's efforts to free more that 200 hostages held by Hamas, Israeli officials denied the possibility of a ceasefire. Though Western leaders on Sunday expressed support for Israel's right to defend itself, multiple reports suggest the US has been pushing for a delay in ground invasion till the hostages are released.
Meanwhile, in a phone call late Sunday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian discussed “how to use all methods” to stop the Israeli onslaught in Gaza. According to US intelligence, there is no “direct information” connecting Hamas attacks to Iran as of now. Amir-Abdollahian has warned Israel and the US that the Middle East may spiral out of control if Israel does not immediately stop its military action.
Second aid convoy reaches Gaza
As Gaza crumbles under a humanitarian crisis, the second batch of 14 trucks carrying aid crossed into the war-torn strip on Monday morning. Martin Griffiths, the United Nations' humanitarian chief, called it a 'glimmer of hope' but warned that the Palestinians need much more. The first trucks carrying aid reached Gaza on Saturday after the Rafah border crossing was opened.
Hospitals in Gaza are overwhelmed with casualties as doctors toil to deliver treatment amid shortage of medical supplies and electricity. Several hospitals described Sunday as a “bloody day” and some hospitals scaled back treatments, CNN reported.
Amid concerns that fuel supplies are dangerously low, doctors warned that the reserves needed to power generators could run out in three days. In some of these hospitals, critically ill infants, battling for their lives on incubators, will not survive an interruption of electricity. Gaza's hospitals have been working on back-up generators after Israel cut off power supply.
Israel has not permitted the entry of fuel through the Rafah crossing. The supply of fuel has remained particulary contentious because Israel is concerned it could be distributed to Hamas militants. However, humanitarian agencies have been pushing for fuel as it is a matter of life and death for millions.
