The Israeli military continues to carry out airstrikes on the 21st in Rafah and other areas in the southern Gaza Strip, which are believed to be the last stronghold of the Islamic organization Hamas, and the number of casualties among residents continues to continue.
As the Israeli military prepares to carry out ground operations against Rafah, there are concerns that the damage will further spread.
The Israeli military announced on the 21st that it had stepped up operations in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, and ground forces had killed dozens of Hamas fighters.
According to local Palestinian media, airstrikes continued on the 21st in the southern region of Rafah, where Israeli military airstrikes continue on a daily basis, resulting in deaths and injuries.
Gaza health authorities said on the 21st that 118 people were killed in Israeli attacks in the past 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 29,313.
Footage taken in Rafah on the 21st shows people taking out household goods from homes that were severely destroyed in the airstrike, with one resident saying, ``Everyone has evacuated to Rafah, but there is nothing here.'' There is no safe place.''
The Israeli military remains prepared to carry out ground operations in Rafah, as it is Hamas's last stronghold, but there are concerns that nearly 1.5 million people live in Rafah, and the damage, including the casualties of residents, will further spread. It has been.
Doctor providing medical support: ``I will not be able to continue my activities''
Rauf Sarti, a doctor living in Geneva, Switzerland, has been providing medical assistance to people in the Gaza Strip for over 10 years. Currently, with support from the Swiss government, we are caring for eight children from the Gaza Strip, aged 1 to 17, who are in Switzerland on medical visas.
On the 21st, I checked on the condition of a 17-year-old boy who was seriously injured in an Israeli missile attack in October last year, changing the bandages on his right leg.
Regarding the medical situation in the Gaza Strip, Sarti said, ``The situation is catastrophic, with no food and no water.Children are dying from hunger and infectious diseases.'' He pointed out that the increase is accelerating.
Since all the injured people accepted so far have passed through Rafah, the border with Egypt, he said, ``If the Israeli army deploys to Rafah, I will not be able to continue my support operations.'' If this happens, it would have a major impact on humanitarian aid operations.
Mr. Sarti then appealed, ``Many lives have been lost. We need a ceasefire now.''
Israel's former defense minister shows “signs of progress,” but uncertainty remains
Amid stalled negotiations between Israel and the Islamic organization Hamas regarding the release of hostages, former Defense Minister Gantz, who is in Israel's wartime cabinet, said on the 21st that ``there are early signs of progress'' and that negotiations are progressing. expressed a positive outlook on progress.
However, he said, ``If a new deal is not reached, we will continue the operation during Ramadan.''If the hostages are not released by Ramadan, the Islamic fasting month that begins around the 10th of next month, we will move to Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. He reiterated his intention to carry out ground operations and urged Hamas to agree to release the hostages.
Regarding negotiations, there remains a wide gap between Israel and Hamas over issues such as the duration of the cessation of fighting and the number of Palestinians to be released from Israeli prisons, and it remains unclear whether the negotiations will make any progress.