Airstrikes in Beit Lahia intensify as Gaza crisis deepens
The Israeli army carried out an airstrike on Saturday in the town of Beit Lahia, located in the northern Gaza Strip. The operation resulted in 35 casualties. "The ongoing evacuation orders and continuous restrictions on the supply of essential goods have placed the remaining civilians in the northern Gaza Strip in a dire situation," the International Committee of the Red Cross warned.
The Israeli authorities assert that the airstrike on Beit Lahia targeted Hamas militants believed to be in the area. Al Jazeera reported that rockets hit residential buildings, some of which collapsed. It is possible that the casualty numbers will rise.
Meanwhile, according to local authorities, since the beginning of Israel's recent weeks-long offensive in the region, approximately 800 people have been killed so far. It remains unclear how many of those casualties were Hamas militants.
The residents' plight in the Gaza Strip is worsened by the dire humanitarian situation, which WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called "catastrophic".
Israel reiterates that residents of the affected areas can evacuate to a designated humanitarian zone in the southern Gaza Strip. However, as reported by the media and non-governmental organisations, this zone is overcrowded and cannot accommodate all the refugees.
"The ongoing evacuation orders and continuous restrictions on the supply of essential goods have placed the remaining civilians in the northern Gaza Strip in a dire situation," stated the International Committee of the Red Cross in a release issued on Saturday. It also called for establishing "safe corridors" for those wishing to flee south.
US threatened Israel: "Limiting aid"
The government controls the delivery of aid shipments to the Gaza Strip in Tel Aviv. During the first two weeks of October, no convoys reached the region. The United States has threatened to limit military aid to Israel if the humanitarian situation does not improve.
In response, Israel allowed aid shipments. However, according to local officials, these are not reaching the northern part of the Strip. Israel contends that aid agencies are responsible for distribution within Gaza.
Israel's war with Hamas
The conflict in the Gaza Strip erupted following a terrorist attack by Hamas on southern Israel on 6th October 2023. During this attack, about 1,200 people were killed, and 251 were kidnapped.
Local authorities report that as a result of the Israeli offensive against Hamas, more than 42,800 Palestinians have been killed. The Gaza Strip is devastated, and most of its residents have become internally displaced.
Source: PAP
