Escalation in Gaza City as Israel Expands Military Offensive
Israel has intensified its military operations in Gaza City, claiming control over 40 percent of the area, following cabinet decisions to expand its offensive aimed at capturing the largest urban center in the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated on Thursday that they would “expand and intensify” their military plans in the coming days, reports 24brussels.
In response, Hamas released videos of two hostages on Friday, urging an end to the ongoing Israeli campaign in Gaza City. The Israeli government reports that there are currently 48 hostages held by Hamas, with 20 of them believed to be alive.
The violence has taken a devastating toll, with thousands of Palestinians reported killed in Israeli airstrikes since the start of the conflict. The escalation follows the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in 1,200 Israeli fatalities and the abduction of 251 people.
As of late August, the reported death toll in Gaza has exceeded 63,500, including nearly 10,000 women and more than 18,000 children, as per data released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs from the Hamas-run health ministry.
International condemnation of the strikes has mounted. Tamara Alrifai, spokesperson for the United Nations relief agency for Palestinian refugees, criticized the actions, stating that “strikes like these add to an ongoing, incessant, continuous campaign to raze down, to raze to the ground entire neighborhoods, buildings and wipe out entire families and individual lives.”
Additionally, Europe’s crisis management commissioner, Hadja Lahbib, condemned Israel’s military escalation in August, warning that “a full Israeli military takeover would be catastrophic: mass casualties, collapsed services & hostages at risk.”
European Commission Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera described Israel’s military actions in Gaza this week as genocide, marking one of the strongest denunciations from Brussels to date. However, the European Commission subsequently distanced itself from her remarks, highlighting internal discord regarding the EU’s stance on the conflict.
