Nepal UK
Picture: The Conversation
TEL AVIV — Israel has announced the "initial stages" of an offensive on Gaza City, leading to a major escalation of the conflict. The military action, which has seen the suspension of humanitarian pauses, is expected to have a devastating impact on the region's civilian population and infrastructure.
Recent reports from the Palestinian Ministry of Health indicate that the death toll has tragically risen to over 63,025 Palestinians, with another 59 lives lost in the past 24 hours alone. The total Israeli death toll stands at 1,195, mostly from the initial 7 October 2023 attacks.
The humanitarian situation is now at a critical point. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has formally declared a man-made famine in Gaza, a crisis which the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called "a moral indictment, and a failure of humanity itself." Guterres has also warned that the expanded military operation "signals a new and dangerous phase" in the war.
On the diplomatic front, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has reiterated his call for the "gradual annexation" of the Gaza Strip if Hamas does not disarm. This has been met with international condemnation, while the UK government has barred Israeli officials from a London arms fair, citing the recent military escalation.
The conflict has also spread to the Lebanese border, where an Israeli drone that had previously been classified as having a "malfunction" exploded after crashing. The explosion tragically killed an officer and a soldier while they were inspecting the drone, according to the Lebanese military.
