Israeli airstrikes devastate Rafah amid rising tensions with Hamas

Israel-Hamas conflict: In response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's directives to plan the evacuation of Rafah, Israeli airstrikes have inflicted severe devastation on the area. The ongoing war between the Israeli military and Hamas escalated significantly following the discovery of a tunnel shaft beneath a United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) school in Gaza.

Israel-Hamas conflict: Grim death toll

The airstrikes have exacted a grim toll, with at least 31 Palestinians reported killed in the southern city of Rafah. Additionally, an Israeli strike targeted a prominent Palestinian figure closely associated with Hamas in Lebanon, though miraculously, he survived the attack, as per Reuters reports.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s health ministry claimed that at least 117 Palestinians were killed and 152 were wounded during the past 24 hours. As Israeli attacks intensifies on Rafah, people are now escaping to the central part of the Gaza Strip.

Israel-Hamas conflict: Netanyahu's assurance, international concerns

As apprehensions of an Israeli incursion into Rafah heightened, Netanyahu provided assurances of "safe passage" to civilians amidst the mounting violence. However, the European Union (EU) warned against the potential humanitarian catastrophe that could unfold if Israel proceeded with its military operations in the region.

Israel-Hamas conflict: Cross-border escalation

In a concerning escalation, an Israeli drone strike near Sidon, Lebanon, resulted in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to two others. Neighboring countries and mediators issued stern warnings about the consequences of a ground invasion in Rafah, where Hamas strongholds are believed to be concentrated.

Israel-Hamas conflict: Human cost and denials

Amidst the chaos, a teenage girl recounted a tragic incident where she and her young cousin were the sole survivors of an Israeli evacuation attempt gone awry, highlighting the human toll of the ongoing conflict, as reported by AFP news agency. Hamas has consistently refuted Israeli allegations of constructing a network of tunnels under civilian infrastructure, including schools and hospitals, to conceal its activities.