According to a U.N. agency, thousands of people in Gaza broke into aid warehouses to access flour and basic hygiene products, signaling a growing desperation and breakdown of public order. The director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross stated that some supplies did manage to reach Gaza but it was just a drop in the ocean of what is needed. Tanks and infantry have entered Gaza as the Israeli Prime Minister announced a second stage in the war, with Israel pounding the territory from air, land, and sea. The bombardment has severely disrupted communications and left the enclave’s population cut off from the outside world. Israeli military forces have targeted militant positions and sent in more ground troops. The U.S. President has had a conversation with the Israeli Prime Minister. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) expressed concern about the recent break-ins at aid warehouses, stating that it is a worrisome sign of the breakdown of civil order after weeks of war and a tight siege. The agency provides essential services to hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza, with its school buildings serving as shelters for displaced Palestinians. Israel has allowed only minimal aid to enter Gaza, resulting in critical shortages of fuel. Gaza hospitals have also been impacted by the airstrikes, making it increasingly difficult for people to access healthcare. The situation has placed pressure on Israel’s government to secure the release of hostages taken during a recent attack. Hamas has offered to release the hostages if all Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons are released. The Israeli Prime Minister has vowed to bring back all the hostages and stated that the second stage of the war aims to destroy Hamas’s military capabilities and government while bringing the hostages home. The Israeli military has expanded its ground operations in Gaza, and casualties are expected to rise as the conflict intensifies. Despite the offensive, Palestinian militants continue to fire rockets into Israel. The death toll in Gaza has risen, with a large number of women and minors among those killed. Hospitals in Gaza are struggling to operate due to power shortages, and thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes. The situation remains dire as Gaza continues to face immense challenges in terms of basic needs and infrastructure.
Gaza War Escalates: Netanyahu Announces ‘Second Phase’ as U.N. Aid Warehouses Ransacked
