Israel conducted extensive airstrikes throughout the Gaza Strip on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of families in their residences. This occurred simultaneously with the arrival of a U.S. envoy in an effort to persuade Israel to enhance its measures in preventing civilian casualties during its conflict with Hamas militants.
The conflict, which has been ongoing for over two months, has now engulfed the entire Palestinian enclave, leading to a humanitarian crisis with no apparent resolution in sight. In the southern part of Gaza, particularly in Rafah, where makeshift tents are crowded with people, mourners gathered at a morgue near bodies covered in bloodied shrouds.
In Rafah, residents sifted through the debris of homes belonging to the Abu Dhbaa and Ashour families, where Gaza health authorities reported 26 casualties. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that approximately 45% of the 29,000 air-to-ground munitions dropped by Israel since October 7 are described as unguided “dumb bombs,” according to a U.S. intelligence assessment disclosed by CNN.
The conflict has resulted in the displacement of nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, many of whom have been forced to evacuate multiple times. Israel’s ground campaign, initially concentrated in the north, has expanded to the south this month.
Additionally, there has been an escalation of confrontations in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Reports from the Palestinian health ministry and international charities indicate that at least 12 Palestinians, including a youth shot at a hospital, were killed in a raid in the city of Jenin since Tuesday.