At least 72 Palestinians have been killed since dawn in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, including civilians seeking food at aid distribution hubs, as the humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave worsens.
The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for blowing up a house in eastern Khan Younis where Israeli soldiers had taken refuge, also attacking Israeli rescue teams with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades before Israeli helicopters intervened.
Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that the government plans to escalate its Gaza offensive by deploying a fifth military division to the enclave, marking a major intensification of the conflict.
Military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir outlined this next phase during a recent cabinet meeting, confirming that all air and ground forces are now available following operations in Iran.
Since dawn, Israeli forces have launched dozens of airstrikes across Gaza, killing at least 80 Palestinians and wounding many more, including in an attack on Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, as forced evacuation warnings raise fears of an intensified ground assault.
