GAZA — The situation in Gaza remains tense as renewed fighting continues into a second day. Talks to extend a week-old truce with Hamas have collapsed, and mediators are struggling to pause hostilities once again.
Eastern areas of Khan Younis in southern Gaza have been heavily bombarded, with columns of smoke rising into the sky. Gaza health officials reported that Israeli air strikes have killed 184 people, wounded at least 589 others, and hit more than 20 houses.
Residents are fleeing with their belongings, searching for shelter further west. The United Nations has warned that the fighting will worsen an already extreme humanitarian emergency, with a spokesperson calling it ”Hell on Earth.”
Qatar, a central mediator, has stated that negotiations are ongoing to restore the truce, but Israel’s renewed bombardment of Gaza has complicated matters. In the north of Gaza, huge plumes of smoke rise above the ruins, and gunfire and explosions can be heard.
Meanwhile, the United States has blamed Hamas for the renewed fighting, while Hamas has accused Washington of giving a green light for an Israeli “war of genocide and ethnic cleansing.”
Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas after an Oct. 7 rampage in which it says the militant group killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages. Israeli assaults since have laid waste much of Gaza, which Hamas has ruled since 2007.
As the conflict continues, the situation in Gaza remains dire, with civilians caught in the crossfire and facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
The cease-fire collapse is disheartening and prolongs the suffering of innocent people caught in the conflict.