Israeli army claims Gaza strip divided into two parts, why did Blinken suddenly reach Iraq?

A day shy of one month since the Israel-Hamas war began, Israel’s military announced late Sunday that it had surrounded Gaza City and divided it into two. The besieged strip was completely cut off for the third time since the beginning of the war. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met the Palestinian President, after which he made a surprise visit to Iraq. The Hamas-run health ministry said at least 9,770 people had been killed in the more than four-week war in Gaza. The operation began after terrorists killed more than 1,400 people and took more than 240 hostage in the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.

There was an unprecedented bombardment by Israel on Gaza. As Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, Gaza city is now divided into two parts. He said that today there is Northern Gaza and Southern Gaza. He described it as an important phase in Israel’s war against Hamas. Israeli media said that Israeli troops were expected to enter Gaza City within 48 hours. All communications and internet services in Gaza were shut down for the third time since the war began. The decline in connectivity was reported by Internet access advocacy group NetBlocks.org and confirmed by Palestinian telecommunications company Paltel. The first communication disruption in Gaza lasted for 36 hours and the second for a few hours.

Israel once again rejected growing international calls for a ceasefire, as it said its forces had successfully encircled Gaza City. The development comes as Blinken seeks to manage a crisis that threatens to escalate in neighboring Lebanon. He met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and tried to reassure him that the Biden administration was stepping up efforts to alleviate the plight of Gaza civilians. He also emphasized the stance that Palestinians should play a leading role in whatever happens to their territory after the conflict.