Israeli soldiers have moved further into Gaza by more than two miles in their growing ground operation, according to a CNN analysis. Aid groups are expressing concern that the civil order is deteriorating, and hospitals are struggling with difficult orders to remove patients.
Israel recently said that it is starting a new phase of its fight against the militant group Hamas. It also mentioned that its troops on the ground in Gaza will get stronger, after weeks of aerial attacks on the area controlled by Hamas.
Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said on Saturday that the country is ready for a challenging and extended war. They are aiming to eliminate and completely defeat Hamas, the group responsible for the October 7 attack on Israel that resulted in the death of over 1,400 individuals, mostly innocent civilians.
The increased operations caused leaders to worry about a bigger conflict in the region. The United Nations also called for a ceasefire to provide much-needed help to Gaza.
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Israeli bombings at Al-Quds Hospital caused a lot of damage to different hospital areas and put the people living there and the patients at risk of suffocating, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
The medical organization said that Israel purposely did airstrikes very close to the hospital to make everyone leave, even though it is the second-largest hospital in Gaza City.
The facility is helping many sick people, while around 12,000 people who had to leave their homes are also staying there, the organization explained.
The organization was told by Israel to leave the hospital right away because it might get attacked. But the World Health Organization said it would be dangerous to move the patients.
The hospital is in the northern part of Wadi Gaza. Israel wants people in Gaza to go to the southern part of Wadi Gaza because they are targeting Hamas in the northern area.
Charity organizations have expressed their disapproval of the decision to evacuate, emphasizing the difficulties faced by ordinary people in Gaza when trying to move around while there are ongoing attacks happening. According to CNN, even those who have followed the order to evacuate have not been able to find safety.
The ICC prosecutor is saying that leaders will have to explain and give good reasons for every attack they make on any civilian object.
There are not enough water, food, and fuel and people are becoming desperate in the area. The area lost all communication from Friday night until Sunday morning.
On Sunday, services slowly started getting back to normal after the United States exerted pressure on Israel to take action.
On Sunday, the United Nations expressed concern that the situation in Gaza is getting worse, with indications that there is social chaos happening. They reported that many Palestinians, who are desperate for necessities like flour and hygiene products, are taking them from warehouses.
During a news conference, the boss of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, said the situation in Gaza is getting worse very quickly. He asked for a ceasefire right away and for consistent help with basic needs for the people there.
Earlier, the United Nations officials said that the amount of help reaching Gaza was not sufficient to meet the requirements of the people there.
US President Joe Biden talked to Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Sunday about sending help to Gaza and making sure innocent people are safe.
On Sunday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah reported that the number of deaths in Gaza has increased to 7,960 since October 7. The data for this report comes from sources in the Hamas-controlled area.
Save the Children, a group that helps people in need, said that in the past three weeks, 3,000 children have been killed in Gaza. This number is more than the number of children who have been killed in wars around the world in each of the past four years.
The widespread destruction and a lot of people dying has made many people very angry and caused protests in the Middle East and other places.
Recently, a group of upset people in the Muslim majority area of Dagestan in Russia, got very angry and went into an airport. This happened after a plane came from Israel on Sunday. The airport had to be closed because of this and other flights had to be sent somewhere else.
Expanded ground operations means increasing the number and scope of activities performed on land.
The video, recorded on Saturday and shown by an Israeli news source, is one of the first views of where Israeli soldiers have been since starting ground operations in Gaza on Friday night.
On Sunday, the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) announced that they had a shootout with Hamas and targeted buildings that had Hamas members inside.
In the Israeli city of Sderot, near the Gaza Strip boundary, a CNN team heard consistent machine gun shots on Sunday from the northern part of the area. At the same time, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were firing artillery and mortars from the southern border.
Israeli tanks and vehicles that protect soldiers were seen heading towards the border. At the same time, helicopters, drones, and fighter jets flew above.
The Israeli government is feeling pressure from the public to keep the 239 people held captive in Gaza safe. They are saying that their efforts to free these hostages are part of their plan.
Iran, a country that has supported Hamas for a long time, made new warnings over the weekend that the ongoing conflict could spread further.
Israel has done things in Gaza that are not acceptable, and this might make everyone feel like they have to do something about it, according to Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi. Jake Sullivan, who advises on US security, also mentioned that there is a higher chance of a conflict spreading to other areas in the Middle East.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia recently cautioned that there could be a risk of regional security being disrupted due to Israel’s increased activities.
Meanwhile, people are still asking for a break in fighting to help those who are suffering.
The United Nations Security Council will have a sudden meeting on Monday. The United Arab Emirates will request a decision on stopping the fighting temporarily for humanitarian reasons.
This means that a large majority of UN member states passed a resolution on Friday, asking for a continuous pause to help people in need.
Earlier this month, the United States said no to a proposed plan at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The plan wanted a temporary break to help people in trouble, but it didn’t criticize Hamas for their violent act.