In Gaza, yesterday marked the second consecutive day of complete disruption to internet and landline services due to ongoing Israeli strikes on the city’s infrastructure. The relentless air and artillery bombardment has compelled hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee further within the Gaza Strip.
In a separate incident, two Israeli soldiers were killed in a shooting at a border crossing with Jordan, while reports indicated that two other soldiers were injured by an explosion in Rafah, southern Gaza.
On the ground, Israeli tanks and aircraft targeted Gaza City heavily, as the military launched a large-scale assault that has led to new waves of displacement. According to the United Nations, hospitals are teetering on the brink of collapse.
Thick plumes of smoke have risen over the city. Reporters from the AFP and witnesses saw a significant number of Palestinians fleeing, either on foot or using vehicles and donkey-drawn carts, carrying whatever little belongings they could manage.
Sources revealed that the Israeli military has transported thousands of heavy missiles and bombs from military bases in Israel to the combat front in Gaza via an aerial bridge established at the beginning of Operation “Gideon’s Chariots 2.”
Israeli aircraft have dropped hundreds of heavy bombs and missiles on various facilities throughout Gaza, resulting in widespread destruction of infrastructure and civilian amenities. This destruction, stemming from the military operations, has severely impacted the living conditions in Gaza City.
The ongoing assault has displaced thousands more residents, raising the total number of mass displacements to eight times since October 2023, with approximately 450,000 people having relocated to the southern regions this month.
Locals in Gaza noted the presence of Israeli tanks in two areas of the city considered gateways to downtown, coinciding with the continuation of internet and telephone outages across the Palestinian territory for the second day. Israeli sources indicated that the plan to occupy Gaza City is divided into three main phases:
- Phase One – Fire Phase: Focused on intensive bombardment and substantial destruction of infrastructure, employing ground and aerial robotics, and high levels of firepower to target logistical and field objectives while dismantling existing infrastructure.
- Phase Two – Terrain Planning: Involves detailed planning for advancement routes.
- Phase Three – Security Assurance and Classification: Identified as high-security, this phase combines military capabilities previously unused in Gaza, including specialized munitions and combat methods.
Additionally, two soldiers were killed yesterday in a shooting incident at a border crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan, according to Israeli ambulance services. The Israeli emergency service stated that the two men, aged approximately 20 and 60, succumbed to their injuries from an incident at the Allenby Bridge (King Hussein Bridge).
Israeli Channel 13 reported that a shooting occurred at the Allenby crossing, noting that a shooter had opened fire and was subsequently neutralized. Moreover, military sources indicated that two soldiers were killed and eight injured by a bomb explosion in Rafah. Other Israeli reports claimed that four soldiers had died in the operation, with eight more injured, some critically, in the southern Rafah region.