Image Credits - CNN
The violence in Gaza has escalated sharply over the past day, with a series of deadly Israeli airstrikes and militant attacks amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran. In one of the most devastating strikes, Israeli warplanes destroyed a mosque and nearby homes in the northern Gaza Jabalia refugee camp, wounding a large number of children and women, according to reports from the region.
Iran has warned Israel it will face “a painful response” if it takes “the slightest action” following Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israeli targets. Israel has urged 32 countries to impose sanctions on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps and its missile program. The grim situation on the ground continues to deteriorate. Ten bodies have been recovered so far from a mass grave at Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital. Israeli settlers have continued their deadly rampage in the occupied West Bank, with more Israeli troops being deployed to the area.
The death toll is staggering. At least 33,843 Palestinians have been killed and 76,575 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7th. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7th attacks stands at 1,139, with dozens still being held captive.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to “steal attention away from Gaza” by escalating his confrontation with Iran over the attacks on Israeli targets.
“We are against escalating. Netanyahu wants to draw attention away from Gaza and focus on his confrontation with Iran,” Safadi said during a news conference in Berlin with his German counterpart. He added that Iran had responded to the attack on its consulate but “did not want to escalate further.”
The situation remains volatile, with attack drones from Lebanon striking northern Israel earlier today. “Two explosive drones crossed from Lebanon into Israel and exploded in the Beit Hillel area,” the Israeli military reported, though no damage or casualties were disclosed.
In Gaza itself, active military operations have been observed in the south and central areas. Surveillance drones have been detected over Rafah, which could presage further attacks. Clashes have raged in the Nuseirat refugee camp, where at least three Palestinians have been killed. Gaza City remains under intense Israeli bombardment, including drone strikes on civilian vehicles. The health ministry has warned that generators powering the few functioning hospitals could fail “at any moment.”
As the cycle of violence spirals, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has warned that “even the smallest action against Iranian interests will be met with a severe, widespread and painful response,” despite calls for restraint from European leaders.
Israeli forces are encircling a school in Beit Hanoon sheltering hundreds of Palestinians who fear a repeat of the violence that occurred at al-Shifa Hospital in March. With both sides issuing bellicose rhetoric and civilian casualties mounting, the path to de-escalation remains perilously unclear amid reports the U.S. is preparing new sanctions on Iran.
