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Tel Aviv — Recently, Israel’s Defense Minister issued a stark warning, threatening to unleash “the gates of hell” on Gaza should Hamas fail to comply with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demands. In a continuation of escalating hostilities, Israeli airstrikes across the region have resulted in significant casualties, with reports indicating at least 58 fatalities during a sustained bombardment that has brought the total death toll to around 500 since a ceasefire ended earlier this week. These figures have been reported by the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health in Gaza.
Among the devastating incidents was an airstrike that targeted the home of the Mubarak family in Beit Lahiya, where mourners had gathered after an earlier loss. Survivors faced the grim task of transporting the deceased to a hospital via ambulance and horse-drawn cart.
Fresh airstrikes were reported in the early hours of Thursday near Khan Younis and Rafah in southern Gaza, close to the Egyptian border.
Israel Resumes Ground Operations in Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the resumption of ground operations in central Gaza, effectively segregating the area into northern and southern regions along the Netzarim corridor. The IDF has mobilized a brigade of troops to the south and distributed leaflets urging civilians to evacuate areas near the Gaza border that are expected to become combat zones.
In a message released via social media, the IDF reassured civilians: “The IDF does not intend to harm you. For your safety, it is forbidden to approach IDF forces in the defensive zone and other areas where they are deployed.”
This statement followed a stern warning from Defense Minister Israel Katz, who spoke to Gaza’s residents in a video message, conveying a final ultimatum: “If all Israeli hostages are not released and Hamas is not eradicated from Gaza, Israel will respond with unprecedented force. Consider the advice of the U.S. President: return the hostages and eliminate Hamas, or face complete destruction and devastation.”
This communication seemingly reflects a threat of collective punishment against the civilian populace of Gaza due to Hamas’s actions, a tactic viewed as unlawful under international law. Such measures are considered a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, although both the U.S. and Israel have not endorsed this treaty.
U.S. Strikes Target Houthis Amid Regional Tensions
The latest escalation in Gaza has prompted stark condemnation from several Arab nations, coinciding with intensified activity from Houthi rebels in Yemen aimed at Israel and U.S. naval forces in the Red Sea. The Houthis claimed they launched a “hypersonic ballistic missile” at Israel targeting Ben Gurion International Airport, leading to air raid sirens being activated in Tel Aviv. The Israeli Air Force confirmed intercepting the missile before it could reach Israeli territory, with no reported damage.
The Houthis also claimed to have zeroed in on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier strike group, yet the U.S. military stated that no impacts occurred. In response, the U.S. conducted airstrikes against Houthi targets, with reports indicating at least nine civilians wounded during these attacks in residential areas of Sanaa. CENTCOM subsequently confirmed ongoing operations against the Houthi forces, sharing reports of the strikes via social media channels.
Furthermore, CENTCOM highlighted that the Houthis had taken control of a World Food Program facility in Yemen, hoarding significant quantities of food aid meant for civilians in need, demonstrating a disregard for humanitarian efforts and further complicating the crisis.
Editor’s note: An earlier mention of an IDF leaflet distributed in Gaza has been clarified; it was dropped in January and not within the last week, and that segment has been omitted accordingly.
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