Day 58 of the Israel-Hamas war intensified with heavy bombardments reported near Gaza’s Khan Younis and Rafah, prompting additional evacuation orders from the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). This comes as the military claimed to have identified 800 Hamas tunnel shafts, destroying 500, located near civilian infrastructure.
Amidst the ongoing violence, the US National Security Council clarified that there are no official negotiations for a new humanitarian pause or hostage releases, expressing hope for talks to resume.
The truce ended on Friday (Dec 1) and since then the war has resumed for the last three days.
The humanitarian fallout of the war is continuing as the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry reported 316 Palestinian casualties since the cease-fire ended. This also included the death of leading Palestinian researchers and scientist Sufyan Tayeh and his family, reportedly in an Israeli airstrike.
Rocket fire persisted from both Gaza and Lebanon. Rockets struck Sderot, causing damage, while anti-tank missiles wounded ten Israeli soldiers and a civilian near the Lebanon border. Israeli retaliation targeted Hezbollah in Lebanon in a response.
A Palestinian was killed during an IDF operation in the West Bank town of Qalqilya. The IDF claimed self-defense, stating they were shot at and faced explosive attacks.
Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, pledged to intensify investigations into Gaza and the West Bank after witnessing “scenes of calculated cruelty.”
Beyond the immediate conflict zone, an alarming development occurred in the Red Sea, where the USS Carney and commercial ships, including an Israeli-owned vessel, reportedly faced an attack from missiles and drones from Yemen.
This marked the fourth assault on Israeli-owned ships since the conflict’s onset. Diplomatic efforts are yet to yield any breakthrough in the Israel-Hamas war as the toll on civilians continues to rise.
(With inputs from agencies)
