Israeli military strikes kill at least 26 Palestinians Thursday in the Gaza Strip as assaults intensify on central parts and tanks advance north, and south. The escalation in hostilities is coming as optimism grows that a truce like the one Israel reached last week with Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon may be near at hand.

Gaza’s Increasing Destruction

The Israeli military’s Gaza campaign, which was started by a deadly raid led by Hamas on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, has already created a very devastating humanitarian crisis. It is said that according to the reports of the health ministry, nearly 44,200 people have died and the displacement is comprehensive with almost the entire population uprooted at least once.

Thursday morning saw Israeli attacks on several sites. In one of them, a house near Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, some civilians were killed and several wounded. Another tent camp that hosted displaced families in the eastern Khan Younis town area was also hit, resulting in casualties. Strikes that flattened a multi-story building killed at least 11 people in the Gaza Strip’s Nuseirat refugee camp and trapped families under rubble after targeting roads outside mosques. Medics said ambulances were unable to reach affected areas due to continuous tank fire.

The scale of destruction is unimaginable. Families are unable to secure necessities like food and water,” said Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N. Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA), noting that 70% of those killed are women and children.

Hopes for Ceasefire Amid Continued Violence

The recent Lebanon ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah brought temporary respite to a parallel war but cast a shadow over Gaza, where efforts at negotiating a similar deal are going nowhere. U.S. President Joe Biden has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders to capitalise on the peace momentum but months of talks have registered little progress.

Displaced Gazans like Amal Abu Hmeid continue to hold out hope that a truce may finally be possible.”I want to take my children to see what’s left of our land and our home. I just want to live in safety,” she said from a crowded school-turned-shelter in Khan Younis.(More)

International Concerns and Ongoing Military Operations

Israel has maintained its operations in Gaza as aimed to root out Hamas, a faction that led the October 2023 assault that claimed the lives of 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped more than 250. The Israeli forces have continued their strikes on what they say are “terror hubs” in a statement showing commitment to eliminating threats.

Tanks advanced into Rafah near the Egyptian border, tightening the blockade. Armored vehicles were reported to have closed off the vital routes to the already-restricted communities.

The international community continues to call for restraint, with both the UN and humanitarian bodies warning against catastrophic consequences facing civilians if this continues without a ceasefire. Gaza will not mirror Lebanon. Negotiations seem to be surrounded by challenges for a meaningful resolution.