CAIRO: Israeli shelling targeted the eastern outskirts of Gaza City overnight and into Tuesday, prompting a new wave of Palestinian families to flee their homes. Residents reported intense aerial and tank attacks in the suburbs of Sabra, Shejaia, and Tuffah, as well as in Jabalia to the north, which destroyed homes and infrastructure. One resident described the onslaught as “earthquakes,” accusing Israel of using fear to force people out. The Israeli military stated its operations aimed to locate weapons and destroy militant tunnels, as it prepares for a new offensive in what it terms Hamas’s last bastion.
The conflict’s brutal human cost was further highlighted by a strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on Monday, which killed at least 20 people, including journalists from Reuters, the Associated Press, and Al Jazeera. Local health authorities reported at least 34 Palestinians were killed in strikes overnight and on Tuesday. The ongoing violence has displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza, with half of its two million residents currently in Gaza City and thousands fleeing westward or south to areas like Al-Muwasi.
Concurrently, Israel faced significant internal pressure as citizens launched a “Day of Disruption.” Protesters, including families of hostages still held in Gaza, blocked roads in Tel Aviv and other cities, demanding the war end and the government secure the release of their loved ones. Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, criticized the government for waging a war “without a clear objective” and failing to answer crucial questions about Gaza’s future and the return of the hostages.
The war, triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, has now killed at least 62,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret for the “tragic mishap” at the hospital, though the military has not provided details. The situation remains dire, with the enclave plunged into a severe humanitarian crisis and no resolution in sight.
