Israeli forces and the Palestinian group Hamas have been engaged in conflict for the past two days, resulting in a significant loss of lives on both sides. The conflict intensified after the surprise attack on Israel, prompting the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to caution that a prolonged and challenging war may lie ahead.
Gun battles between Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters continued in Ashkelon and southern parts of Israel.
The Israeli airstrikes damaged a building resembling the Palestinian Islamic National Bank near Al Jazeera’s live reporting location.
The authorities of Israel sent evacuation messages to Palestinians in Gaza, specifically to those in the eastern part, convincing them to move to safer central areas.
Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah were engaged in the artillery and rocket exchanges. In Alexandria, Egypt, two Israeli tourists and their Egyptian guide were shot badly. The Hamas attack that launched on Saturday had marked a significant and deadly attack into Israel, comparable from the past 50 years to a historical assault. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to seek “mighty vengeance” in response to these developments.
The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency closed consultation to address the escalating violence between Israeli forces and Palestinian groups on Sunday.The initiative to conduct this meeting was taken by Malta, and the support was received from the United Arab Emirates and Brazil. China expressed the deep concern about the significant increase in violence over the weekend and asked all the parties involved to exercise restraint and seek a peaceful resolution.
Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had engaged in talks with Saudi Arabia and Jordan with the aim of defusing the tensions between Palestinians and Israelis. Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, highlighted the highly volatile nature of the situation, particularly due to Israeli attacks and violations against Palestinians in cities and areas of the West Bank. Saudi Arabia has called for an immediate closing of violence, underlining the importance of de-escalation. U.S. President Joe Biden strongly condemned the Hamas attacks that occurred in Israel on Saturday, describing them as “unconscionable.” His management pledged to provide necessary support for Israel to defend itself against these attacks.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, the continuing conflict had resulted in a devastating toll, with 370 reported casualties and approximately 2,200 individuals suffering injuries due to Israel’s retaliatory strikes in Gaza. In Israel, the situation is also marked by a significant loss of life. Israeli TV stations have reported around 600 casualties, but it’s important to note that Israel has not yet officially disclosed the exact number of casualties in the conflict.
