The latest of a series of overnight airstrikes by Israel killed and injured dozens of Palestinians in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya. Many casualties were reported when the airstrikes hit the multi-story residential building that houses several families. Cases like this are part of the continuous military campaign between Israel and Hamas, which has been upgraded since October 2023.

Beit Lahiya Strike: Heavy Casualties:

Local doctors and residents have described the scene after a multi-story building in the town of Beit Lahiya was struck. The Palestinian Civil Emergency estimated that around 70 people lived in the targeted property, with the Gaza government’s media office reporting 72 dead. Local footage obtained by Reuters showed how frantic rescue operations looked like. As the locals were trying to pull out bodies from the rubble, several surrounding buildings were severely damaged.

The Israeli military confirmed conducting a series of operations in the Beit Lahiya area, stating the operations were against “terrorist targets” with efforts made to avoid civilian casualties. The Israeli military appealed for care in reporting casualty figures from the Hamas-run Ministry of Health, thereby suggesting earlier reports were suspect.

Widening Military Operations in Gaza

The recent strike is part of a broader Israeli military campaign in Gaza, which escalated following the October 2023 attacks by Hamas militants that killed around 1,200 Israelis. In response, Israeli forces have intensified air and ground operations targeting Hamas and other militant groups, including Islamic Jihad, in Gaza.

Israel’s military claimed to have put its ground forces into northern parts of Gaza, which comprise Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Jabalia. This area is historically significant because it houses among the largest refugee camps in Gaza.

As part of its operations, according to the IDF, the Israeli forces intend to demolish militant strongholds and bar Hamas from regrouping.

Death Toll Rises as Skirmish Continues

Casualties mount into the third week of fighting. In another separate Beit Lahiya attack, the military wing of Islamic Jihad said it had damaged an Israeli tank. In an airstrike in Khan Younis, apparently in southern Gaza, five Palestinians preparing to escort aid trucks into the territory were killed. Other strikes killed at least 16 others during the Day, one said to have struck a Bureij camp home, killing 10.

The latest statistics from Gaza’s health ministry indicate that more than 43,800 Palestinians have died since the conflict restarted in the last week of October 2023. Thousands are reportedly injured as well. It was only the first attack launched by Hamas militants in October 2023, which claimed the lives of about 1,200 Israelis. “The fighting will continue until Hamas is debilitated,” Israeli authorities said.

Read Also:Israeli Airstrikes on Damascus Result in 15 Fatalities Amid Escalating Tensions.

Ceasefire Efforts Hit a Stalemate

Despite a steady death toll and an increasingly desperate humanitarian crisis, diplomacy to end the fighting appears to be stuck. Qatar, which had successfully mediated negotiations between Israel and Hamas, last week said it would stop facilitating talks between the two unless both sides showed “a seriousness and a will” to move forward with a conversation.

Hamas has been claiming that it would accept a ceasefire, which would then end all hostilities. In contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that a ceasefire is impossible if the Hamas military continues to exist. The continuing battles have laid down much of the infrastructure of Gaza and dislocated thousands of residents from their homes, thus creating severe humanitarian issues in the region.

This catastrophe continues in Gaza and calls for this civilisation of horrors to urgently put an end to the need for attention to pitifully terrible protection of civilians and violence. Still, with each passing minute, while injuries mount, the prospects of peace seem all the more unattainable.