The conflict between Israel and Hamas has escalated in recent days, with Hezbollah claiming responsibility for a mortar attack on occupied Shabaa Farm from Lebanon, and Israel responding with artillery fire. This comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to turn the Gaza Strip into a “desert island” following a surprise attack by Hamas on Saturday.
The latest death toll is 313 Palestinians and about 500 Israelis. Hamas also said it had captured many Israelis and that the hostages were scattered across the Gaza Strip.
The Hamas operation was carried out following the mass killing of Israeli settlers, the escalation of tensions around the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and the killing of an unprecedented number of Palestinians.
In a separate incident, Israeli authorities are pursuing a vehicle that came from an Israeli settlement area in the Gaza Strip previously occupied by militants. The car drove quickly to the Ashkelon area, where an armed conflict occurred.
The vehicle stopped but there were casualties. One report said 15 civilians and Israeli military personnel may have been killed as a result of the fighting.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas is a complex and long-standing one, with both sides having committed serious violations of international law. It is important to note that the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip is illegal, and that the Palestinians have the right to resist occupation.
