Thirty-five days following the Hamas attacks in Israel, the Gaza Strip is witnessing an intensification of conflict with recent reports indicating increased hostilities near key medical facilities, coupled with escalating international reactions and political statements.
Hamas officials and Palestinian media have reported fighting on the outskirts of Gaza’s Shifa Hospital, identified by Israel as a Hamas command center, and the Rantisi Hospital.
The Times of Israel, add that Shifa Hospital, allegedly situated above Hamas’s headquarters, is now encircled.
“Israeli local media reports that Shifa Hospital, which Israeli authorities say stands above Hamas headquarters, is now encircled,” said in a statement from The Spectator Index on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Al Jazeera reported that Gaza’s Health Ministry spokesperson, Ashraf al-Qudra, stated that Israel has bombed Al-Shifa Hospital buildings five times since Thursday night.
“Another footage of IDF tanks spotted near the Rantisi hospital in Gaza City,” said the Clash Report on X showcasing a tank in the Gaza strip.
Amid these developments, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have renewed evacuation calls, surrounding the two key hospitals in Gaza City.
On Thursday, Israel has agreed to daily, four-hour operational pauses to facilitate civilian evacuations and increase humanitarian aid from Egypt, as confirmed by the White House.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that there would be “no ceasefire” without the release of hostages held by Hamas.
The conflict has drawn sharp international responses. As reported by CNN, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken condemned the civilian death toll in Gaza during his visit in New Delhi, emphasizing the need for minimizing harm to Palestinian civilians.
“Far too many Palestinians have been killed. Far too many have suffered these past weeks,” said Blinken.
Catherine Russell, the head of UNICEF, called for the unconditional release of all hostages, responding to a video depicting a child hostage in Gaza. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Saudi-Africa summit in Riyadh, called for an end to the war and the “forced displacement” of Palestinians.
The Biden administration faces stark warnings from American diplomats in Arab countries about the repercussions of its strong support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated readiness to govern the Gaza Strip post-conflict, underlining that this would only be feasible as part of a broader political solution, including the establishment of a Palestinian State along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, as CNN reported.
In stark contrast to Abbas’s vision, Israel has declared its intention to maintain security control over Gaza indefinitely after its military campaign against Hamas.
Produced in association with Benzinga
