Israel has persisted with its deadly bombardments in Gaza Strip on Sunday, escalating an eight-week war as international calls intensified for the greater protection of civilians and the reinstatement of an expired truce with the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
The Israeli army reported conducting over 400 strikes in Gaza since the collapse of the ceasefire on Friday. The Hamas government revealed that at least 240 people had lost their lives in the relentless attacks.
Hamas and the Palestinian group Islamic Jihad responded with “rocket barrages” targeting multiple Israeli cities and towns, including Tel Aviv.
Israel reported the first casualties on its side, with two soldiers losing their lives in combat since the truce ended.
At least seven individuals were killed in an Israeli bombing near Gaza’s southern border with Egypt early Sunday, as confirmed by the Hamas-run government. The Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza also suffered from Israeli strikes late Saturday, resulting in the death of at least 13 people, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.
US Vice President Kamala Harris, attending UN climate talks in Dubai, expressed deep concern over the escalating civilian toll in Israel’s prolonged conflict, emphasizing the devastating impact on innocent Palestinians.
The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also voiced profound concern over the situation, stating that he could not find words strong enough to express it.
Reports from Gaza indicate dire conditions, with a humanitarian catastrophe declared by UN agencies. An estimated 1.7 million people in Gaza, more than two-thirds of the population, have been displaced by the war.
Fadel Naim, chief doctor at the Al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City, reported receiving 30 bodies on Saturday, including seven children.
Hamas: Israel continues to pound Gaza as truce ends
