The Israeli military suffered its greatest casualties in action in over a month during an ambush amid the rubble of Gaza on Wednesday.
On the same day that the UN called for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire and U.S. President Joe Biden claimed that Israel’s “indiscriminate” bombardment of civilians was losing support from across the world, fierce fighting broke out in both northern and southern Gaza between Hamas militants and Israeli forces. The Israeli military will continue fighting, according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, despite calls for a truce from throughout the world.
In the last twenty-four hours, eleven Israeli troops were slain; among them was a lieutenant colonel who oversaw a regiment and a full colonel who commanded a forward post. Troops were ambushed in the Shejaia sector of northern Gaza City while attempting to rescue another set of soldiers who had assaulted Hamas gunmen in a building; this is where most of the casualties occurred.
Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas, said any plan for Gaza’s future that does not include Hamas is a “delusion.”
After militants from Hamas burst over the border barrier from Gaza on October 7, murdering 1,200 Israelis (mainly civilians) and taking 240 captives, Israel launched a campaign to destroy the organization, garnering worldwide support. Following that, Israel encircled the Palestinian enclave and devastated a large portion of it.
According to the Gaza health ministry, at least 18,608 have been killed and 50,594 wounded as a result of Israeli assaults on Gaza. Ambulances may not be able to reach the many more who are believed to be trapped under the debris.
Concerned with the rise in assaults by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank, the Biden administration has decided to postpone the transfer of over 20,000 weapons produced in the United States to Israel. Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are now without a place to call home.
Israel has announced daily four-hour operations pauses near Rafah to allow civilians access there, and it has been promoting additional supplies to Gaza across Egypt’s border.
