By Alisia Fox
An international call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas resides, beside Israeli forces intensifying their actions of attack in Gaza, amid several strikes launched in the past several days. At least 85 Palestinians were killed on Wednesday, with another 379 people estimated to be injured, as a result of these strikes. Since October 2023, the Israeli military has reportedly killed more than 65,400 Palestinians, with another 167,160 injured.
Israeli forces launched overnight strike attacks on the Nuseirat refugee camp, with mainly women and children being fatally injured, of which 9 were a family, and later, 13 others, according to staff at the al-Awda hospital, which received the bodies.
Palestinians forced to evacuate Gaza City are setting up makeshift tents in western parts of Nuseirat amid these attacks, and do not have access to basic necessities. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that intensified strikes, including on tents, residential buildings, and infrastructure, continues to cause a flood of civilian casualties. OCHA has warned of a sharp decline in health facilities, particularly in Gaza City, where most clinics and hospitals in the north have shut down across the past month. It has left hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced, with limited access to food and medical care.
In Southern Gaza, conditions continue to worsen. According to the Shelter Cluster, families live in makeshift accommodation, overcrowded spaces, open areas amid the rubble, with services stretched far beyond its capacity. Humanitarian groups warn that the collapse of sanitation, infrastructure and access to supplies risks triggering further outbreaks of disease amongst Palestinians.
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) struck over 140 targets in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to the military. Targets hit by the IAF included tunnels, terror operatives, buildings used by terror groups, and other infrastructure, according to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). In Gaza City, the IDF said that 98th, 36th and 162nd divisions continue to destroy Hamas sites.
The Israeli military issued a statement saying the divisions were “fighting deep inside Gaza City,” as well as in north Gaza, where the 99th division were “dismantling above ground and underground infrastructure.” Israeli forces claimed one strike to have killed five fighters, who launched an anti-tank missile at nearby Israeli troops. Separate strikes have killed fighters in southern Gaza, according to the IDF.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke about Gaza on Friday during his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York. He said that his country “must finish the job” in Gaza. Following Netanyhu’s approach to the podium, dozens of delegates left the room as a form of protest, alongside protests against Israel’s war taking place outside. According to different political bodies, it has been established that Netanyahu’s speech included several misleading remarks, most notably the claim that Hamas is stealing humanitarian aid from Palestinians.
As Israeli strikes continue to have an increasing impact on Gaza, the question remains: can international pressure for a ceasefire make it materialise, or will the violence continue?
