Israel initiated a significant number of airstrikes across Gaza on Saturday, resulting in the death of numerous people, with hundreds others being sent to overwhelmed hospitals, according to health authorities in the region. These airstrikes followed a U.S. veto of a U.N. Security Council resolution that called for an immediate cease-fire.
Several strikes specifically targeted the southern Gaza Strip, where civilians were instructed by the Israeli military to take shelter to avoid bombardment. This highlights the fact that there is no safe place for refugees in Gaza.
Reuters released videos of the southern city of Khan Younis, showing buildings engulfed in flames following an Israeli strike. Additionally, local media reports featured footage of rescuers and civilians digging individuals from the debris with their bare hands, using flashlights and cellphones for illumination. Other images portrayed patients being treated on bloody hospital floors.
The day before the cease-fire was to be voted on at the Security Council, the Biden administration, Israel’s close ally, had begun to warn that the Israeli military had not done enough to prevent harm to civilians in Gaza. The resolution was ultimately rejected by the United States, citing Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas.
The conflict has displaced about 85 percent of Gaza’s population of more than 2 million Palestinians, resulting in most individuals seeking refuge in tent camps, overcrowded schools, and other public buildings. Given the onset of winter, the situation has worsened, say Gazans. U.N. officials have expressed difficulties delivering essential goods such as food, medicine, and cooking gas to civilians in desperate need.
With everything seeming bleak, Gaza’s situation continues to grow worse.
Given the possibility of the war ending soon, many are praying for the inevitable, much-needed break.
– Raja Abdulrahim and