On Tuesday, smoke rose from the Gaza Strip morning as Israel launched a new round of relentless bombing on the besieged enclave. Flares were also spotted lighting up the smoky morning sky after sunrise.
The Israeli army severed northern Gaza from the rest of the besieged territory and pounded it with airstrikes Monday, saying it was preparing for expected ground battles with Hamas militants in Gaza’s largest city and an even bloodier phase of the month-old war.
Sirens sounded in Israel in areas around the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, warning Israeli residents of possible retaliatory rocket launches by Hamas.
The developments come as an Israeli strike hit the roof of Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital, killing several displaced people sheltering on its top floor and destroying solar panels, said the general manager of all hospitals in Gaza.
The panels have been helping keep the power on at the facility, which has been reduced to using one generator because of a lack of fuel.
Already, Israeli air strikes have killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, mostly children, the Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip said Monday.
Gaza is becoming a “graveyard for children,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday.
“Ground operations by the Israel Defense Forces and continued bombardment are hitting civilians, hospitals, refugee camps, mosques, churches and UN facilities – including shelters. No one is safe,” Guterres told reporters.
Israel has relentlessly bombed the enclave following the October 7 Hamas attack that left 1,400 Israelis dead.
The war has quickly become the deadliest Israeli-Palestinian violence since Israel’s occupation began 75 years ago, with no end in sight as Israel continues to intensify its attack despite international calls for a ceasefire.
