Air Strikes on Gaza City Intensify Amid Plans to Expand War

TDT | Manama

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Gaza’s civil defence agency has reported a sharp increase in Israeli air strikes on Gaza City over the past few days. This comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet approved plans to widen the ongoing conflict in the area.

Although the Israeli government has not specified when its forces might enter Gaza City, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said air attacks have been growing stronger for the last three days. He described heavy bombings hitting residential neighborhoods like Zeitoun and Sabra, targeting civilian homes and possibly even high-rise buildings.

“For the third day in a row, the bombardment has become much more intense,” Bassal said. “Israel is using a variety of weapons — bombs, drones, and powerful explosives that are causing massive destruction to homes.”

Residents in the affected neighborhoods are living through terrifying moments. Majed al-Hosary, who lives in Zeitoun, shared, “The strikes have been so strong that the ground shakes with every hit. There are people trapped under the rubble, but no one can reach them because the shelling doesn’t stop.”

At least 24 people were reported killed across Gaza on Tuesday, with several casualties in Gaza City alone.

The conflict, which began after a Hamas attack on Israel earlier this year, has drawn growing international concern. United Nations experts warn that Gaza is facing a widespread famine due to the ongoing siege.

Netanyahu is under increasing pressure to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, as well as criticism over his plan to expand the war, a move he says will proceed regardless of international support.

The war has taken a devastating toll. According to official figures, over 1,200 people were killed in the initial Hamas attack on Israel. Meanwhile, the health ministry in Gaza, run by Hamas, reports that more than 61,000 Palestinians have died since the conflict began, a figure the United Nations considers reliable.