Monday marked the deadliest single day for Israeli soldiers, with 24 killed in the southern region of the Gaza Strip. The toll includes 21 soldiers who lost their lives when mined buildings collapsed and three in a separate attack in southern Gaza. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has called it an “unbearably difficult morning,” while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vows to continue fighting until “absolute victory.”
The Gaza health ministry reports a toll of 25,490 Palestinians killed and 63,354 injured. In the past 24 hours alone, Israel has killed 195 Palestinians and wounded 354.
Meanwhile, Israel’s closest allies, the UK and the US, have launched fresh airstrikes against Houthi fighters in Yemen. UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron pledged to continue degrading Houthi military capabilities, while the Houthi army spokesperson warned of consequences for the airstrikes.
Israel proposed a multi-phase deal through Qatari and Egyptian mediators. The proposal includes up to a two-month pause in fighting, with the first phase involving the release of women, men over 60, and those in critical medical condition.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have encircled Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, claiming that they are targeting Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade. Israeli ground troops are engaged in close-quarters combat, while the air force conducts strikes.
Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have lost their homes due to Israel’s extensive bombing of Gaza. Many are confined to small towns north and south of Khan Younis, sleeping in makeshift tents. Shortages of food, medicine, and clean water are reported.
Israeli blockades and hospital stormings since Monday have left injured individuals beyond the reach of rescuers. Dead people were buried inside Khan Younis’s main Nasser hospital due to safety concerns. Al-Khair hospital in Khan Younis was stormed by Israeli troops, resulting in the arrest of staff. Al-Amal Hospital, where Red Crescent rescuers are based, is cut off and unreachable, according to Palestinian officials.
Doctors Without Borders reports feeling the “ground shaking” at Nasser Hospital due to Israeli bombardments. UNRWA reports that over half a million people in Gaza face hunger. Little aid reaches residents and displaced families in the northern part of Gaza. Displaced families in northern Gaza resort to grinding animal feed into flour due to the lack of aid. Intense fighting, communications blackouts, and access restrictions continue to block UNRWA’s ability to deliver aid safely and effectively.