The Israeli military announced that its forces have recommenced ground operations in central and southern Gaza, coinciding with a second day of airstrikes that resulted in the deaths of at least 38 Palestinians, according to local health officials.
This renewed ground assault follows a day when over 400 Palestinians lost their lives in airstrikes, marking one of the deadliest periods since the onset of the conflict in October 2023, effectively ending a ceasefire that had been mostly upheld since January.
As per the Israeli military, the operations aim to expand Israel’s control over the Netzarim Corridor, which divides Gaza, and represent a “focused” effort to establish a partial buffer zone between the northern and southern parts of the enclave.
The United Nations reported that an Israeli airstrike resulted in the death of a foreign staff member and injuries to five others at a UN headquarters situated in central Gaza City. However, Israel refuted this, claiming the strike targeted a Hamas site where preparations for attacks on Israeli territory were detected.
Palestinian medics at a UN vehicle outside Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital transporting injured UN staff.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a thorough investigation and condemned all attacks on UN personnel. In a statement, he noted that the strike raised the death toll of UN colleagues in Gaza to at least 280 since October 7, 2023.
In Sofia, the foreign ministry reported that a Bulgarian working for the UN had died in Gaza, according to preliminary information. It was not immediately confirmed whether this Bulgarian was the UN staff member killed in Gaza.
Israel, which has committed to eliminating Hamas, stated that its latest offensive is “just the beginning.”
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During the latest outbreak of violence, local health workers reported that an Israeli airstrike killed four people and injured ten others in a residence in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, where the military had previously issued evacuation orders to residents.
In Beit Lahiya, another Israeli airstrike resulted in the deaths of 14 individuals at a mourning tent, according to medical sources.
Both Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violating the truce, which had provided a temporary relief for Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants after 17 months of conflict that has devastated the enclave and compelled most of its population to evacuate multiple times.
Live updates: At least 436 people killed since Israel resumed Gaza strikes – civil defence
Palestinian health authorities report that the Israeli campaign has claimed the lives of over 49,000 people in Gaza and has precipitated a humanitarian crisis characterized by severe shortages of food, fuel, and water.
Israel has accused Hamas of using Palestinian civilians as human shields. Hamas denies this accusation and contends that Israel is conducting indiscriminate bombings.
This war, the most destructive chapter in the long-standing Israel-Palestinian conflict, was ignited by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, during which gunmen killed approximately 1,200 people and took around 250 hostages, based on Israeli estimates.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to recommence bombardments has sparked protests within Israel, as 59 hostages remain held in Gaza, with 24 of them believed to be alive.
A coalition of hostage families and demonstrators opposing Mr. Netanyahu’s actions against the judiciary and security establishments has regrouped, accusing the prime minister of leveraging the war for political purposes.
A young woman raises a placard during a protest against Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
Palestinian medics reported that Israeli tank shelling along the main north-south Salahuddin Road resulted in one Palestinian casualty and multiple injuries.
Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua informed Reuters that the closure of the Salahuddin Road constituted a “total coup” against the ceasefire agreement and a tightening of the blockade on Gaza.
He reiterated his group’s willingness to finalize the proposed three-phased ceasefire agreement, welcoming any proposal “as long as it is based on initiating negotiations for the second phase and a complete end to the war in Gaza.”
Previously, the Israeli army disseminated leaflets in northern and southern Gaza, once again instructing residents to evacuate their homes.
Palestinians leave Beit Hanun in northern Gaza with their belongings.
Defence Minister Israel Katz released a video statement advising Gaza residents that evacuations from combat zones would commence shortly.
He indicated that airstrikes were “only the first step,” and if the hostages were not freed, “Israel will act with force you have not yet seen.”
The resurgence of violence has drawn condemnation from Western nations, including France and Germany, as well as from Qatar and Egypt, who have been facilitating ceasefire negotiations.
Israel and Western powers are aligned in opposing any role for Hamas in the region post-conflict.
An Israeli tank takes position near the border with Gaza.
Arab nations formulated a peace and reconstruction plan for Gaza following a proposal from US President Donald Trump to resettle Palestinians and transform the region into a “Riviera” of the Middle East, a suggestion that was met with outrage across the region. However, this plan has not gained traction.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stated that she told Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar that the situation in Gaza was “unacceptable.”
Jordan’s King Abdullah called for the restoration of the ceasefire and the resumption of aid flows.
“Israel’s resumption of attacks on Gaza is an extremely dangerous step that exacerbates an already dire humanitarian situation,” he stated during a visit to Paris for discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron.
However, Dorothy Shea, acting US ambassador to the United Nations, remarked that the accountability for the resumption of hostilities “rests solely with Hamas.”
