Israeli forces conducted a second ground raid into Gaza with support from fighter jets and drones within two days, targeting areas on the outskirts of Gaza City. The raid was carried out as part of their preparations for a widely expected ground invasion of the Hamas-ruled territory.
Simultaneously, U.S. warplanes struck targets in eastern Syria that the Pentagon stated were linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. These strikes were in response to a series of attacks on U.S. forces by Iran-backed fighters, contributing to the heightened regional tensions exacerbated by the three-week-long conflict in Gaza.
Palestinian death toll crosses 7,000-mark
The Palestinian death toll has risen to over 7,000, primarily due to Israel’s extensive airstrikes in response to a Hamas incursion into southern Israel on October 7. The Gaza Health Ministry, responsible for tracking casualties, released a detailed list of names and ID numbers, revealing that more than 2,900 minors and over 1,500 women are among the casualties.
In Israel, over 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed during the initial Hamas attack, according to the Israeli government. Hamas currently holds at least 224 captives within Gaza, including men, women, children, and older adults.
The ongoing airstrikes have resulted in the destruction of entire neighborhoods, causing a level of death and devastation unseen in the last four wars between Israel and Hamas. More than one million people have been displaced from their homes, with many following Israeli evacuation orders to relocate to the south, despite ongoing Israeli strikes throughout the sealed-off territory.
Humanitarian crisis deepens
The conflict has threatened to ignite a wider war across the region. The humanitarian crisis stemming from the war and the Israeli blockade has triggered protests throughout the region, and additional demonstrations were expected following the weekly Muslim prayers on Friday.
According to the military, ground forces have conducted raids within Gaza, targeting numerous militant sites in the past 24 hours. They reported airstrikes and artillery bombardments in Shijaiyah, a neighborhood on the outskirts of Gaza City that was the site of a fierce urban battle during the 2014 Gaza war.
The military indicated that the soldiers successfully exited the territory without incurring any casualties. They also reported an earlier incursion into northern Gaza on Thursday, where ground forces engaged militants and targeted positions for firing anti-tank missiles in an operation that spanned several hours.
Horrific before and after images of Gaza
The satellite photos taken before the war and in recent days reveal the extensive damage inflicted on Gaza after nearly three weeks of intense bombardment. Entire rows of residential buildings have vanished, reduced to clouds of dust and rubble.
A cluster of 13 high-rise buildings near Gaza City’s al-Shati refugee camp was reduced to debris, with only a few remnants of the facade left standing. Nearby, a neighborhood of low-rise homes along winding lanes appeared nearly obliterated in the images captured by Maxar Technologies.