In the aftermath of the deadliest attack it has ever experienced, Israel has launched a relentless bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip. This has resulted in more than one million Gazans fleeing their homes in a state of chaos and despair, while Israel continues to amass troops, signaling a potential full-scale ground invasion.
The conflict ignited when waves of Hamas fighters breached the heavily fortified border on October 7, leaving in their wake a tragic toll of over 1,400 casualties, primarily civilians, who fell victim to shootings, stabbings, and burnings.
Following this devastating attack, Israel initiated an unrelenting bombardment of the Gaza Strip, resulting in the destruction of entire neighborhoods and the loss of at least 2,670 lives, the majority of whom were innocent civilians.
Under the directive of Israeli authorities to relocate to the southern region of the Gaza Strip, people from the northern areas have been forced to abandon their homes in search of refuge, even if it means taking to the streets or seeking shelter in UN-administered schools. The scenes of Palestinians carrying whatever possessions they can in bags, suitcases, three-wheeled motorbikes, battered cars, vans, and even donkey carts have become all too common.
Mona Abdel Hamid, a 55-year-old resident of Gaza City who fled to Rafah in the south, expressed the dire situation, saying, "No electricity, no water, no internet. I feel like I'm losing my humanity," as she found herself seeking refuge with strangers.
US President Joe Biden, in an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes," emphasized the necessity of taking action against extremists but cautioned that Israel's occupation of Gaza would be a "big mistake."
Amidst their grief and anger, Israel has assembled its forces outside the long-besieged enclave of 2.4 million inhabitants, preparing for a military operation that includes land, air, and sea components, including a "significant ground operation," according to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Jonathan Conricus. He stressed that it would be perilous for civilians to remain in the area.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, returning to Israel after a crisis tour of Middle Eastern nations, is making frantic efforts to avert a wider crisis in the volatile region.
As Israel seeks retribution for the brutal attack, which also witnessed the taking of numerous hostages, including young children by Hamas militants, the Arab League and African Union have issued warnings that an invasion could lead to "a genocide of unprecedented proportions."
UN chief Antonio Guterres has sounded the alarm, emphasizing that the entire region teeters "on the verge of the abyss."