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Israeli forces launched their largest ground attack on Gaza in the ongoing conflict with Hamas, increasing anger in the Arab world over Israel’s continuous bombardment of the besieged Palestinian territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced that Israeli troops were preparing for a full ground invasion, while other nations including the U.S. urged Israel to postpone the invasion due to concerns over the escalation of hostilities in the Middle East.

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, warned that it may have to close operations in Gaza if no fuel reaches the territory, which is in desperate need of shelter, water, food, and medical services. The Israeli military claims that Hamas has large reserves of fuel that could be used by hospitals.

UN World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain stated in an interview that the overly stringent checks on trucks at the Rafah crossing from Egypt into Gaza were slowing down the aid flow. She emphasized the need for safe and unfettered access into Gaza to prevent starvation.

Since the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israeli communities, Israel has bombarded the densely populated Gaza Strip. Israel claims that Hamas has killed approximately 1,400 people, including children, and has taken more than 200 hostages.

Gaza’s health ministry reported that 7,028 Palestinians have been killed in the retaliatory air strikes, including 2,913 children. The U.S. State Department acknowledges a significant number of deaths in Gaza but does not have independent confirmation of the numbers and does not trust the figures released by Hamas.

The Israeli military has also expressed doubts about Hamas figures but has not provided its own assessment. The Gaza health ministry has published a 212-page document with names and ID numbers of the Palestinians it claims were killed in Israel’s bombardment.

During the conflict, Israeli forces conducted their largest incursion into northern Gaza, striking numerous terrorist cells, infrastructure, and anti-tank missile launch posts. Palestinian sources reported continued Israeli air strikes and intensive tank shelling throughout the night.

Concerns have been raised about the possibility of a wider regional conflict developing. U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria have been targeted multiple times in the past week, suspected to be the work of Iran-backed groups. Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah have also exchanged fire. In response, the United States has deployed additional troops to the Middle East to bolster air defenses for U.S. personnel.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivered a direct message to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warning against targeting U.S. personnel in the region. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, warned at the United Nations that the U.S. would “not be spared from this fire” if Israel’s offensive against Hamas continues.

Arab governments, including Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, jointly condemned the targeting of civilians and violations of international law by Israel. They criticized Israel’s right to self-defense and called for more efforts to implement a two-state solution.

The European Union expressed its grave concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and called for continued, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access and aid delivery. Germany’s Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, stated that EU leaders meeting in Brussels would show support for Israel.

The international community is also concerned about the more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7 assault. Hamas’s armed wing claimed that around 50 hostages have been killed due to Israeli strikes, but Reuters has been unable to verify the numbers.

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