In a recent development, Israel has announced the implementation of a comprehensive blockade and siege on the Gaza Strip. This move has resulted in severe shortages of essential supplies, including food, water, electricity, and fuel for the approximately two million inhabitants.
At the same time, tensions in the region remain high, with a significant number of Hamas fighters remaining in southern Israel following their operation on Saturday, which tragically claimed the lives of at least 800 Israelis. Reports have also emerged of alleged Hezbollah fighters entering Israel from the Lebanese border. However, Hezbollah has denied these claims.
Doctor Basem Naim, Hamas’s head of political and international relations, spoke with Sky News and strongly denied the group’s involvement in civilian casualties. He argued that anyone “carrying guns” could not be considered a civilian. Naim further highlighted the longstanding occupation and suffocating siege endured by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip for 75 years and 17 years, respectively.
According to Naim, people in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas governs, live in constant fear and face an uncertain future. He compared the situation to living in an open-air prison, where individuals are left with the grim choice of perishing from airstrikes or silently suffering from malnutrition.
As Israeli forces continue to retaliate, smoke rises above Gaza City as a result of ongoing strikes. The Israeli government has ordered a complete siege, blocking vital supplies from reaching the Gaza Strip, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation. Since Saturday’s incursion, the death toll among Palestinians has risen to approximately 500.
Meanwhile, an Israeli TV station reports that at least 800 Israelis have lost their lives in the recent escalation of violence caused by Hamas fighters.
One member of Hezbollah has been reported killed in a bombardment by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah denies any involvement in operations within Israel, emphasizing its strong backing by Iran, similar to Hamas.
Earlier today, artillery shelling and gunfire were heard at Lebanon’s southern border with Israel, causing heightened tensions in the region. The armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement has claimed responsibility for the attack at the Lebanon-Israel border, which injured seven Israeli soldiers. The PIJ, established in the 1980s, aims to establish a Palestinian state in the occupied territories.
In a joint effort, both the PIJ and Hamas fighters participated in the armed incursion that sparked the recent escalation of violence on Saturday.
