Death toll in Gaza surpasses 21,000 amid ongoing conflict

New Delhi, Dec 27: The Gaza health ministry has reported an increase in casualties, with at least 195 people killed in the past 24 hours. The total death toll has now crossed 21,100, and the majority of those affected are children and women. The conflict has been ongoing for 11 weeks, marked by intense fighting.

The United Nations has voiced grave concerns over reported Israeli strikes that killed dozens in the Bureij, Nuseirat, and Maghazi camps. Heavy fighting is ongoing in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Israeli airstrikes overnight in Gaza have led to civilian casualties, particularly in the Bureij, Maghazi, and Nuseirat camps. There were reports of targeted strikes on homes, resulting in casualties and injuries. Residents reported heavy fighting in Bureij and the nearby village of Juhr al-Deek. Israel has ordered the evacuation of central Gaza areas, affecting over 150,000 people who are urged to move to shelters in the town of Deir al-Balah. The town is already struggling to accommodate several hundred thousand displaced individuals.

Israel's army chief, Herzi Halevi, has stated that the confrontation with Hamas is expected to continue for "many more months." On Tuesday, Israel conducted airstrikes on over 100 sites, and there are reports of potential ground operations in central Gaza. Explosions were heard in the early hours of Wednesday from the Gaza Strip along the Israel-Gaza perimeter. The IDF acknowledged the complexity of the terrain but insisted on dismantling Hamas, expressing determination even if it took time. The army general claimed the IDF was close to dismantling all Hamas battalions in northern Gaza.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has condemned the situation as a "grave crime" against his people, describing it as "beyond a catastrophe" and "beyond a war of annihilation." In an interview, with a media house in Egypt, he expressed concern about the unrecognizable state of the territory and warned of potential upheaval in the West Bank. President Abbas also accused the United States of prolonging the conflict by vetoing UN draft resolutions calling for a ceasefire.