The Israeli army has escalated its strikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza ahead of a planned ground invasion, and concurrently, the Pentagon has announced increased defense measures in the Middle East due to “escalations” by Iran and its allies. The Israeli bombing campaign in Gaza has resulted in 4,385 casualties and 13,651 wounded.
Israel’s military announced intensified strikes on Hamas-controlled Gaza ahead of a planned ground invasion, as the Pentagon said Sunday it was bolstering defenses in the Middle East over “escalations” by Iran and its allies.
A first trickle of aid entered the blockaded Gaza Strip on Saturday. However, the 20 trucks permitted to cross were described as a “drop in the ocean” given the “catastrophic” humanitarian situation for 2.4 million residents.
According to Israeli officials, the military has pounded Gaza with relentless strikes in response to Hamas’s murderous October 7 attack, in which militants killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death.
The bombing campaign has killed more than 4,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry, and reduced swathes of the densely populated territory to smoldering ruins.
According to the UN, citing local authorities, over 40 percent of all housing has been damaged or destroyed, and Israel has halted the delivery of food, water, fuel and electricity.
Israel will now intensify its bombardment to minimize the risks to its troops when they begin a ground invasion, military spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari said.
Israel has warned beyond one million residents of the northern part of Gaza to move south for their safety, and the UN says more than half the enclave’s population is now internally displaced.
However, bombardment has continued in southern parts of the Strip, with Hamas authorities reporting nine killed in an airstrike in Khan Younis overnight.
Hundreds of thousands of civilians are believed to remain in and around Gaza City in the north, unwilling or unable to leave.
The conflict has raised fears of a broader regional war, and Washington said it would deploy defense batteries and additional Patriot battalions to protect US forces.
The Pentagon also said it was notifying additional troops to “prepare to deploy orders” without specifying how many or when they could be dispatched.
Gabriela De La Cruz, with AFP
