Israel intensifies its ground attack while bombing Gaza’s north

As Israeli troops backed by tanks moved into the enclave with a military assault, Palestinians in northern Gaza reported heavy artillery and airstrikes early on Monday, prompting renewed international demands for civilians to be protected.

There have been 8,005 deaths in the 2.3 million-person Gaza Strip, according to medical authorities, 3,324 of whom were youngsters. Since the conflict began, 35 journalists and 116 medical professionals have died, according to the media office of the Gaza government.

IDF troops inside Gaza. pic.twitter.com/TFeajOwYoh

— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 30, 2023

Israeli airstrikes struck locations close to the Shifa and Al-Quds hospitals in Gaza City. According to Palestinian media, Palestinian fighters and Israeli troops engaged in combat in a border area east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the enclave.

Regarding the fighting on Monday, neither the Israeli military nor Hamas released a statement.

Two days after the Israeli government ordered increased ground incursions across its eastern border, Israel signaled with the release of photographs showing war tanks on the west coast of the Palestinian enclave, which suggested a possible attempt to surround Gaza’s main metropolis. This was followed by the bombardments that occurred hours later.

Additionally, other images that surfaced online seemed to show Israeli forces waving an Israeli flag in the heart of Gaza. Reuters was unable to confirm the pictures.

Much of Israel’s self-proclaimed “second phase” of a three-week conflict with Hamas rebels has been concealed from the public, with troops operating in the dark and Palestinians being cut off from communications.

Although the phone and internet outages seemed to subside on Sunday, telecoms operator Paltel reported that Israeli airstrikes had once more disrupted phone and internet access in some areas of the northern enclave.

The disruptions have significantly hindered efforts to rescue victims of the harsh Israeli shelling.

The Palestinian Red Crescent stated on Sunday that it had received instructions from Israeli officials to promptly evacuate al-Quds hospital, where about 14,000 Palestinians had sought shelter, which prompted reports of strikes close to hospitals.

Although Hamas disputes the accusations, Israel has claimed that the organization has placed command centers and other military hardware in Gaza hospitals.

About 50,000 Palestinians had also sought refuge in Shifa Hospital, according to Palestinian officials, who expressed anxiety over Israeli threats against the establishment.

Israel has intensified its blockade and continued to assault the besieged area. Along with increasing its attacks on groups in the West Bank, it has resulted in hundreds of arrests and the deaths of numerous Palestinians.

During an Israeli attack on the West Bank city of Jenin and its refugee camp on Monday, two Palestinians were killed and nine others were injured, according to the Palestinian official news agency WAFA.

The IDF persists in its arbitrary actions involving the destruction of private property in the occupied West Bank, as recent footage from Jenin reveals. pic.twitter.com/hwc7xD40U3

— Clash Report (@clashreport) October 30, 2023

The increasing international call for a “humanitarian pause” to allow aid matched Israel’s intensified bombardment.

According to a person briefed on the conversations, talks between Israel and Hamas under Qatari mediation resumed on Sunday and covered potential hostage releases.

The source, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that Hamas demands the release of all civilian captives detained by the fighters in exchange for a five-day humanitarian respite in Israeli operations that would allow supplies and gasoline into the trapped Gaza Strip.

The Israeli government claims that almost half of the prisoners detained by Hamas are foreign individuals holding passports from 25 different nations, including 54 Thai citizens.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to be updated on the humanitarian situation in Gaza on Monday. The 193-member UN General Assembly unanimously voted on Friday to demand an urgent humanitarian ceasefire, despite the 15-member body’s four failed votes in the previous two weeks on draft resolutions intended to address the crisis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came under pressure on Sunday from US President Joe Biden to safeguard civilians in Gaza and “immediately and significantly increase the flow of humanitarian aid” to the besieged coastal enclave, according to the White House.

The White House announced separately that Biden and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi agreed to significantly accelerate the aid coming into Gaza starting on Sunday.

Palestinian civilians should relocate to a “humanitarian zone” in the southern part of the small enclave, according to Colonel Elad Goren of COGAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry office that coordinates with the Palestinians. Israel will permit a significant increase in aid to Gaza in the coming days, he said.

Israel has threatened to destroy Hamas, describing the mission as requiring lengthy military operations in, around, and beneath Gaza City, where the combatants have a vast underground network of bunkers.

There are also worries of the Gaza war spreading to other countries, such as Lebanon, where there has been gunfire between the Israeli army and Hezbollah.

Israeli airstrikes on Monday, according to Syrian state TV, attacked two army stations in Daraa and resulted in “some material losses”.

Large-scale pro-Palestinian protests have been held all around the world as a result of the war. Thousands of people came together in Beirut on Sunday to demonstrate support for Gaza.

Following the arrival of an Israeli airliner, hundreds of anti-Israel protestors seized Russia’s Dagestan airport in Makhachkala on Sunday. Security personnel were forced to close the airport and reroute planes while clearing the demonstrators.

Israel urged Moscow to defend Israelis and Jews living in Russia in response to the tragedy.