In a tragic escalation of violence, Israel intensified its bombing campaign in Gaza. This relentless assault has plunged the region into darkness as electricity outages worsen. With fears of the conflict spreading, the United States extends its support amidst the growing crisis.
As Israel carried out heavy bombardments across the Gaza Strip for the fifth consecutive day, more than 2 million Palestinians faced the grim reality of losing electricity. Israel’s decision to place the territory under complete siege followed an infiltration by Hamas terrorists into Israel, resulting in one of the deadliest attacks the country has ever witnessed.
An Israeli army self-propelled howitzer fires rounds near the border with Gaza in southern Israel on Wednesday.
Witnesses in Gaza City described the extensive destruction of entire neighborhoods due to Israeli strikes overnight. Heart-wrenching videos circulated online, portraying children being pulled out, wounded or lifeless, from the ruins.
This surge in violence has ignited one of the most profound conflicts between Israel and Gaza in recent memory. Concerns are that this chaos might spill over to the occupied West Bank and potentially affect neighboring Middle Eastern countries.
The recent surge in violence was initiated by an unexpected assault by Palestinian combatants from Gaza into Israel during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. Terrorists breached Israel’s border using paragliders, motorbikes, and boats, launching thousands of rockets toward Israel.
Israeli authorities reported a death toll of over 1,200 Israelis within the country due to the assault. In contrast, officials in Gaza revealed that more than 1,000 Palestinians have lost their lives due to Israeli actions since the weekend, with a significant portion of the casualties comprising women and children.
Even as both Israelis and Palestinians in Gaza mourned their losses through funerals, Hamas terrorists continued to fire rockets into Israel while Israeli forces relentlessly bombed the Gaza Strip. Although Israel’s Iron Dome defense system successfully intercepts most rocket attacks, air raid sirens have been heard as far north as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, signifying that some rockets have evaded interception.
Gaza Descends into Darkness
Hamas, the governing authority in Gaza, declared that the territory would descend into “complete darkness” within a day. Hours later, Gaza’s primary power plant ceased operations. Israel’s stringent siege measures have prohibited fuel, food, water, medicine, and other essentials from entering Gaza.
In response to the escalating humanitarian crisis, the Biden administration announced ongoing discussions regarding creating safe corridors for civilians, echoing a call from the U.N. World Food Programme. The objective is to establish emergency humanitarian routes, permitting the entry of medication medical teams and facilitating the evacuation of individuals with severe injuries from Gaza to locations where emergency treatment is available.
Palestinians flee their homes to take shelter at the United Nations school in Gaza City, on Sunday. Israel has dropped leaflets warning residents to leave ahead of stepped up fighting.
With all of Gaza’s borders sealed, Palestinian civilians are trapped and unable to seek safety. Approximately one-tenth of Gaza’s roughly 230,000 people have been internally displaced, with many seeking refuge in U.N. operated schools.
The blockade on Gaza was implemented by Israel and Egypt in 2007 after the Hamas terrorist group took control of the territory. While Egypt had been providing some aid via its Gaza border, these deliveries were halted due to Israel’s airstrikes on the Gaza side of the border crossing.
Israel Buries Its Dead
Israelis held funerals for those who lost their lives in the surprise attack launched by terrorists from the Gaza Strip. The attackers infiltrated Israel, targeting communities along the southern border, resulting in more than 200 fatalities. They overran a police station military position, gunned down individuals at a dance music festival, and held hostage at least 100 people whom they later transferred to the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli authorities.
Family and friends of May Naim, 24, who was murdered by Palestinians terrorists at the "Supernova" festival, near the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, react during her funeral on Wednesday in Gan Haim, Israel.
Hamas is anticipated to utilize these hostages as bargaining chips to secure the release of thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. However, the group has clarified that negotiations will not proceed as long as Gaza remains under attack.
Hamas’ military wing, the Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigades, threatened to execute a civilian hostage each time a civilian in Gaza perishes in their homes due to Israeli airstrikes, which often come with little or no warning. No publicly known executions have occurred thus far.
Israel has summoned more than 300,000 reservists to its border with Gaza, indicating preparations for a possible ground invasion. Volunteers have rallied to support the troops by offering prayers, food, and other essentials.
The streets of Tel Aviv, typically bustling with stores, bars, and tourists, are now eerily devoid of traffic and pedestrians. Schools nationwide are shuttered as the nation braces itself for what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as “difficult days ahead”. He stressed that Israel is engaged in this battle to ensure its very existence.
Many residents have been evacuated in the southern Israeli towns and cities near Gaza’s border, while some have chosen to remain despite the danger.
Gaza’s Health and Electricity Crisis
In addition to the more than 1,000 Palestinians who lost their lives, over 5,000 individuals have sustained injuries from Israeli bombings since Saturday, as per officials in Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry disclosed that it had been compelled to ration its services due to the electricity crisis.
Léo Cans, the head of mission in the Palestinian territories for Doctors Without Borders, released a statement underscoring the overwhelming pressure on Gaza’s hospitals. He described complex cases, including a 13-year-old boy who sustained severe burns when a bomb struck near his home, leaving most of his body scorched.
Cans emphasized that declaring war must not lead to collective punishment for Gaza’s population. He pointed out that not even ambulances and hospitals have been spared from damage caused by the airstrikes.
Hisham Mhanna, the spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza, noted that water and sewage treatment plants require electricity to function properly. He expressed concerns that hospitals might become sites of tragedy if they are deprived of power. Furthermore, some patients with various medical needs and chronic ailments struggle to access treatment.
Mhanna highlighted the urgent situation, explaining that it encompasses sick children, patients with chronic diseases, elderly individuals, and pregnant women who might soon be without access to medical supplies, aid, or services.
U.S. Affirms Support for Israel
The first shipment of U.S. weapons since the weekend’s attack has reached Israel. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is traveling to Israel to convey a message of solidarity and support. According to the Congressional Research Service, Israel has received the most significant cumulative amount of U.S. foreign aid since World War II, having received a total of $158 billion.
In the days ahead, we will continue to stand with our Israeli partners. As I head to Israel, I will be working to ensure they are equipped to defend themselves and making sure any hostile parties know they must not seek to take advantage of the situation. pic.twitter.com/kwchxyggnO
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) October 11, 2023
The United States has also dispatched a naval vessel to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to deter armed groups or countries seeking to escalate the situation or widen the scope of the conflict. This deployment includes eight attack and support aircraft squadrons, a guided missile cruiser, and guided missile destroyers.
USS-Gerald-R-Ford - A US naval vessel moved to the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
During an address from Washington, President Biden described Hamas’ attack on Israel as “pure unadulterated evil” and pledged to ensure that Israel receives the support it requires to protect itself. He confirmed that 14 Americans were killed in Israel, while more than 20 remain missing.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby acknowledged the presence of some Americans among those held hostage by Hamas but clarified that it involves “a minimal number of Americans that we know of”.
Relatives of U.S.-Israeli citizens who have gone missing and may be held hostage revealed that neither the U.S. nor Israeli governments have reached out to them with any information regarding their loved ones.
This escalating crisis has brought both Israel and Gaza to the brink of catastrophe, with countless lives lost, countless others at risk, and the international community looking on with growing concern.
