Gaza: As Israeli forces advanced into northern Gaza on Wednesday, tens of thousands of Palestinians fled their homes, fearing for their lives. Many carried bags and belongings, and some pushed their belongings in carts. Some residents reported that Israeli soldiers had fired on them as they fled.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that around 115,000 people had fled their homes in northern Gaza since the Israeli military launched its offensive on Monday. The UN agency said that the number of displaced people could rise to 185,000 if the fighting continues.
According to US Defense officials, the Pentagon deployed the nuclear-powered USS Florida attack submarine to the Persian Gulf region as the US makes a show of force to deter Iran. Meanwhile, Israeli Israeli Prime Minister Nenjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would consider tactical little pause in fighting to facilitate the entry of aid.
The Israeli military said that it was targeting militants in northern Gaza, but the UN said that many of the casualties were civilians. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights said that at least 35 Palestinians, including 10 children, had been killed in the Israeli airstrikes.
The Israeli military said that it was taking steps to avoid civilian casualties, but the UN said that the Israeli airstrikes were indiscriminate and had killed and injured many civilians.
The UN called for an immediate ceasefire to allow civilians to flee the fighting and to allow humanitarian aid to be delivered to northern Gaza.
The Israeli military said that it would continue its offensive until it had achieved its goals of destroying Hamas’s military infrastructure and stopping rocket attacks against Israel.
The fighting in Gaza is the latest in a cycle of violence between Israel and the Palestinians. The two sides have been locked in a conflict for decades, and there is no end in sight.
The international community has called for an end to the violence, but it has been unable to broker a lasting peace agreement.
The Palestinians are hoping that the international community will put pressure on Israel to end its offensive. The Israelis are hoping that the offensive will weaken Hamas and make it less likely to launch rocket attacks against Israel.