(Scypre.com) – Overnight airstrikes by Israeli forces in the southern Gaza city of Rafah resulted in the deaths of 18 individuals, including 14 children, according to statements from health officials on Sunday. These strikes are part of a series of actions that coincides with the United States moving toward the approval of a significant increase in military aid to Israel.
Rafah has been a focal point of Israel’s military operations, receiving near-daily airstrikes. This city, situated along the border with Egypt, has become a refuge for a substantial portion of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, who are fleeing ongoing hostilities in other areas. Despite global appeals, including from the U.S., for moderation, Israel has announced plans to intensify its ground operations within the city.
The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a legislative package allocating $26 billion in aid, with approximately $9 billion earmarked for humanitarian efforts in Gaza.
Details provided by the nearby Kuwaiti Hospital reveal the tragic outcomes of these strikes. The initial attack resulted in the deaths of a man, his pregnant wife, and their 3-year-old child, though the unborn baby was successfully delivered and survived. Another strike tragically claimed the lives of 13 children and two women, all members of a single family. Furthermore, airstrikes the previous night in Rafah led to nine additional deaths, including six children.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has escalated to a devastating toll, with over 34,000 Palestinian casualties reported by local health officials. This seven-month conflict has not only ravaged Gaza’s major cities but has also brought the entire region to the brink of famine, with the vast majority of the population displaced.
This conflict has broader regional implications, igniting tensions throughout the Middle East and involving direct exchanges between Israel and Iran, heightening fears of a more extensive conflict between these long-standing adversaries.
Additionally, the situation remains tense in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where the Israeli military reported neutralizing two Palestinians involved in an attack near Hebron. The specifics of their fates were not immediately clear, and no Israeli forces were harmed during the incident.
Violence in the West Bank has been severe, with at least 469 Palestinians killed since the conflict’s inception, mostly during military operations and protests.
The war was initially triggered by an unprecedented attack from Gaza into southern Israel on October 7, where militants killed approximately 1,200, mostly civilians, and took around 250 hostages. Israel asserts that about 100 hostages remain captive, along with the remains of over 30 others.
Domestically, the Israeli public’s unrest is palpable, with widespread demonstrations demanding new leadership and negotiations for the hostages’ release. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, remains steadfast in his commitment to continue the military campaign until Hamas is defeated and all hostages are freed.
The death toll in Gaza, as reported by the Gaza Health Ministry, now stands at 34,049, with an additional 76,901 wounded. The ministry notes that a significant portion of the casualties are women and children and acknowledges that the actual numbers could be higher due to unreachable bodies under the debris.
Israel attributes the civilian casualties to Hamas’ tactics of engaging in warfare within densely populated areas. The Israeli military has claimed over 13,000 Hamas fighters have been killed, a figure for which it has not provided substantiating evidence.