Israel's military chief Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has signed off on a "framework" for a new offensive in the Gaza Strip, rumbling the region just days after top security advisers pushed to seize Gaza City. ⚔️
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has not given a date yet for boots on the ground in Gaza City, where thousands have already fled previous rounds of fighting. Meanwhile, Gaza's civil defense says air strikes have hit residential zones like Zeitoun and Sabra with "very heavy" fire, toppling homes and perhaps even high-rise blocks. 🔥
On the diplomatic front, Hamas sent a senior team to Cairo for "preliminary talks" with Egyptian mediators. 🤝 They are hoping to hammer out a temporary truce, but for now the bombs keep falling.
International chatter is heating up. Many European allies and four UN Security Council members (China, France, Russia and the UK) have slammed the idea of widening the war. Meanwhile, UN experts warn famine could ripple across Gaza as aid dries up under strict limits. 😔
Since the conflict ignited last October, around 1,219 Israelis have died and at least 61,599 Palestinians have been killed, according to the latest official counts. With summer on the horizon, tensions show no sign of cooling down. Stay tuned as we track how this next chapter unfolds. 🌍
Reference(s):
Israel military says it has approved a plan for new Gaza offensive
cgtn.com
