New York: As the war in Gaza completes 200 days, there seems to be no sign of a truce between Israel and Hamas. As tensions increase each day, both Tel Aviv and the Palestinian militant group have started to escalate the level of attacks on each other. After tensions with Iran simmered down, Israel launched its assault on Rafah – the last refuge city for over a million Gazans who fled the northern part of the strip during the first phase of the war.
As per an AP report, Israel has intensified its strikes across the war-torn strip. These strikes were also reported to have been the heaviest shelling in weeks. As Tel Aviv continued its attacks, the Israeli military had once again ordered Gazans to evacuate north Gaza as they were in a “dangerous combat zone”.
Meanwhile, Hamas’ armed wing – al Qassam Brigades has called for an escalation of attacks on all fronts. In a televised speech, Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, praised Iran’s attack on Israel and stated that the strike “set new rules, drew important equations, and confused the enemy and those behind it.”
Since October 7, Israel’s bombardment in Gaza has killed over 34,000 Palestinians. As per health agencies, 75 percent of the deaths have been attributed to women and children. As the humanitarian crisis deepens, around 130 hostages still remain in Gaza. After the October 7 terror attack on Israel, Hamas took over 250 hostages back into Gaza.
Of these 250 hostages, around 110 were freed during the first truce in November-December. However, due to the war resuming, around 136 hostages are still being held captive in Gaza. As per IDF and US officials, the exact number of hostages remaining is a mystery as around 20-30 hostages have been presumed dead.
At Columbia, Yale and New York Universities, pro-Palestine protests rocked campuses with thousands of students calling out Joe Biden and his handling of the war in Gaza. The protests escalated after the arrest of over 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators. As tensions increased between pro-Palestine and pro-Israeli demonstrators, Columbia University went online and many urged Jewish students to stay inside due to the rise in antisemitism.
