Israeli Airstrikes Rock Gaza: US Diplomatic Push Amid Conflict
Israeli aircraft and tanks conducted airstrikes in various areas of the Gaza Strip overnight, according to reports from local residents.
Simultaneously, White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, embarked on a journey to the region. This visit coincides with the United States' call for a more targeted military campaign. Sullivan's agenda included discussions with Israeli officials, emphasising the necessity of precision in targeting Hamas militants, as opposed to launching large-scale assaults such as those seen in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, as reported by Reuters.
Israel has applied pressure on the city of Rafah, asserting it to be the last stronghold of Hamas forces. This has prompted hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee, seeking refuge elsewhere.
Moreover, Israeli forces have advanced deeper into the narrow streets of Jabalia in northern Gaza, revisiting areas they claim to have cleared at the conflict's onset, according to local residents.
The Israeli military contends that its operations in Jabalia, the largest of Gaza's eight historic refugee camps, are precise and aimed at preventing Hamas from reestablishing control in the region.
Israel reported on Sunday that two additional soldiers were killed in a battle in southern Gaza.
According to Gaza health officials and Hamas, at least 28 Palestinians were killed on Sunday, with the majority falling victim to an attack on a house in Nuseirat, central Gaza.
The Gaza Civil Emergency Service stated that rescue teams have recovered the bodies of 150 Palestinians killed in recent days, while their tally indicates that 300 homes have been struck by Israeli air and ground fire.
Gaza health officials do not differentiate between civilians and combatants in their death toll reports.
The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, which triggered the conflict, resulted in 1,200 casualties, according to Israeli figures. It is believed that approximately 125 of the 253 people abducted during the raid remain in captivity in Gaza. Since October 7, at least 35,386 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes, according to the enclave's Health Ministry. Humanitarian agencies have issued warnings about widespread famine and shortages of fuel and medicine.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
