222 hostages captured by Hamas, Israel intensifies ground attacks in Gaza

Led by US President Joe Biden, the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement emphasizing their support for Israel’s right to self-defense against Hamas. It has also been confirmed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will escalate the conflict by launching a ground offensive on Gaza. Meanwhile, the Israeli military stepped up airstrikes in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and southern Lebanon, while also expanding strikes to include targets in Syria and the occupied West Bank.

Gaza has proven to be the deadliest of the five conflicts for both sides. The death toll in Gaza has reached a staggering 4,741 people, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, while some 16,000 people have been injured in the besieged territory. Another 93 Palestinians lost their lives due to violence and Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank, the ministry said. The Israeli military announced that limited ground operations were conducted overnight in the Gaza Strip to deal with Palestinian gunmen. Along with this, air strikes were carried out on places where Hamas terrorists were gathering, with the aim of preventing possible attacks on Israeli territory.

Israeli warplanes launched a massive attack across Gaza early Monday morning. The attack also targeted the place where Palestinians have been asked to take shelter. The attacks were carried out after a small convoy carrying aid supplies was given permission to enter Hamas-ruled territory. Following the brutal and deadly attacks carried out by Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, Israel is now preparing for a massive ground offensive in Gaza. There is a heavy deployment of tanks and troops along the Gaza border, and Israel says it has increased airstrikes to reduce the risk to troops in the next phases.