By The ongoing conflict in Gaza saw a significant escalation on Monday as the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad launched a barrage of rockets into Israel, while Israeli tanks advanced further into parts of the Gaza Strip. This latest round of violence underscores the persistent tension in the region, nearly nine months into Israel’s offensive aimed at neutralizing threats against its territory.
Islamic Jihad, an Iranian-backed ally of Hamas, fired approximately 20 rockets towards Israeli communities near the Gaza fence. While the Israeli military reported no casualties from this attack, it demonstrated that militant groups still retain rocket capabilities despite the prolonged Israeli offensive.
The violence extended to the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where a woman and a boy were reportedly killed during an Israeli operation in Tulkarm. This incident followed an Israeli strike in the same area that killed an Islamic Jihad member a day earlier.
In Gaza, Israeli forces continued their incursion into the Shejaia suburb of Gaza City for the fifth consecutive day. Tanks also advanced further into western and central Rafah, near the Egyptian border. The Israeli military claimed to have killed several militants in Shejaia and discovered large caches of weapons.
Hamas reported luring an Israeli force into a booby-trapped house in eastern Rafah, resulting in casualties. The Israeli military confirmed the death of a soldier in southern Gaza, possibly related to this incident.
The conflict, which began with Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel, has resulted in nearly 38,000 Palestinian deaths, according to the Gaza health ministry. Israel reports 317 of its soldiers killed in Gaza. Efforts to secure a ceasefire, backed by Arab mediators and the United States, have stalled due to conflicting demands from Hamas and Israel.
In a related development, Israeli authorities released 54 Palestinians detained during the war, including Mohammad Abu Selmeyah, the former director of Al Shifa Hospital. Abu Selmeyah, upon release, alleged severe mistreatment during his detention, claims which the Israeli military has not immediately commented on.
As the conflict continues to escalate, the international community watches closely, hoping for a breakthrough in ceasefire negotiations to bring an end to the mounting casualties and destruction in the region.
