In the isolated Gaza Strip, Palestinians faced immense challenges on Wednesday, as Israeli airstrikes obliterated entire neighborhoods, hospitals grappled with dwindling supplies, and the sole power plant in the region depleted its fuel reserves. This exacerbated the suffering in a conflict initiated by a shocking and lethal assault by Hamas militants.
Aerial attacks reduced entire urban areas to rubble in this small coastal enclave, burying countless individuals under piles of debris. The relentless bombardment persisted despite the militants holding approximately 150 people they had captured from Israel, encompassing soldiers, men, women, children, and elderly individuals.
[wpadcenter_ad id=’696′ align=’none’]Israel had pledged an unprecedented response against the ruling Hamas militant group in the Palestinian territory after their fighters breached the border fence on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of numerous Israelis in their homes, on the streets, and at an outdoor music festival. Since then, militants have continued launching rockets at Israel, including a significant barrage at the southern town of Ashkelon on Wednesday.
The ongoing conflict, which has resulted in a minimum of 2,200 casualties on both sides, is anticipated to intensify, compounding the suffering of those residing in Gaza, where essential resources and electricity were already scarce.
Following the attack, Israel halted the entry of food, water, fuel, and medical supplies into the territory—a narrow strip of land, approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) in length, sandwiched between Israel, Egypt, and the Mediterranean Sea, with a population of 2.3 million Palestinians. The sole remaining access point from Egypt was closed on Tuesday after airstrikes near the border crossing.
As Palestinians sought refuge in U.N. schools and a decreasing number of safe areas, humanitarian organizations called for the establishment of corridors to deliver aid. They warned that overwhelmed hospitals, inundated with injured individuals, were running out of crucial supplies.
On Wednesday afternoon, Gaza’s only power plant exhausted its fuel supply after Israel terminated its provisions, according to the Energy Ministry. This leaves generators as the sole source of power in the region, but they also depend on fuel that is in short supply.
The World Health Organization of the U.N. revealed that the supplies pre-positioned for seven hospitals had already run out due to the influx of wounded individuals. Doctors Without Borders reported a shortage of surgical equipment, antibiotics, fuel, and other essentials in two Gaza hospitals they manage. The largest hospital in the territory, Al-Shifa, has fuel reserves for only three days.
Israel has mobilized 360,000 reservists and is increasingly considering a ground offensive into Gaza, as public pressure mounts on its government to oust Hamas, which has ruled the region since 2007 and has maintained control through four previous conflicts. Such an operation would likely require an extended ground assault and temporary reoccupation of Gaza. Even then, Hamas has a history of operating as an underground insurgency in areas under Israeli control.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated, “We will not allow a reality in which Israeli children are murdered” and emphasized that all measures would be taken to eliminate those who oppose them.
Late on Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes targeted the family home of Mohammed Deif, the elusive leader of Hamas’ military wing, resulting in the deaths of his father, brother, and at least two other relatives in Khan Younis, a southern town. Deif has never been seen in public, and his whereabouts are unknown.
Incidents along Israel’s northern borders with militant groups in Lebanon and Syria indicated the potential for a broader regional conflict.
U.S. President Joe Biden cautioned other nations and armed factions against entering the conflict and announced that the U.S. was already sending munitions and military equipment to Israel, with a carrier strike group deployed to the eastern Mediterranean as a deterrent.
On Wednesday, the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired anti-tank missiles at an Israeli military position, claiming to have killed and wounded Israeli troops. The Israeli military confirmed the attack but did not comment on potential casualties. Israel also shelled the area in southern Lebanon from which the attack was launched.
As a new strategy, Israel is urging entire neighborhoods to evacuate, rather than just individual buildings, before causing widespread devastation, potentially in preparation for a ground offensive.
Hamas officials have indicated their readiness for all scenarios, including responding to escalated Israeli actions. Among Palestinians, desperation is growing, as they perceive a lack of hope under continuous Israeli military occupation, expanding settlements in the West Bank, a 16-year blockade in Gaza, and what they see as global indifference.
The Hamas-run Interior Ministry reported that Israeli airstrikes obliterated the entire al-Karama neighborhood in Gaza City, resulting in numerous casualties. Medical teams were unable to access the area due to the destruction of all roads leading to it, and rescue teams faced difficulties reaching other areas as well.
In another neighborhood on Tuesday, Palestinian Civil Defense forces rescued Abdullah Musleh and 30 others from their basement after their apartment building was flattened. The 46-year-old Musleh, who sells toys, tearfully expressed his desire to leave Gaza, having lost his home and job.
On Wednesday, a barrage of rockets struck Ashkelon, with shrapnel hitting the streets, and Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system intercepting at least one projectile. Residents were gripped by fear and grief.
On Tuesday night, a group of militants engaged in a gunbattle with Israeli troops in an industrial zone in Ashkelon, resulting in the deaths of three militants. The military continued to search the area for any remaining assailants.
The Israeli military reported that more than 1,200 people, including 155 soldiers, have been killed in Israel, marking a toll not witnessed since the 1973 war with Egypt and Syria. In Gaza, authorities have reported 1,055 casualties, with Israel asserting that hundreds of them were Hamas fighters. The military found approximately 1,500 bodies of Hamas militants on Israeli territory, though it remains unclear whether these figures overlap with Palestinian reports.
Days of clashes between Palestinians throwing rocks and Israeli forces in the West Bank have led to the deaths of 15 Palestinians. The violence has also spilled into East Jerusalem, where Israeli police reported killing two Palestinians who had hurled stones at them on Tuesday.
In Gaza, over 250,000 people have been displaced, the highest number since Israel’s 2014 air and ground offensive, which displaced approximately 400,000 individuals. The vast majority of displaced individuals are seeking refuge in U.N.-operated schools. The destruction of three water and sanitation facilities has cut off services to 400,000 people, according to the U.N.
Since Sunday, tens of thousands of people in southern Israel have been evacuated.