Rulers of Hamas, on Sunday, have announced that death toll in Gaza has increased to 4,600, even as Israel has stepped up its airstrikes on the region.
According to reports, the city of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza has been severely affected by one of the most intense nights of shelling since the conflict started on October 7.
They also reported that in the past 24 hours, over 260 people lost their lives, according to the health ministry, with 1,873 of those casualties being children.
The conflict began when Hamas militants crossed the border on October 7, resulting in Israel’s bombardment of the enclave.
The attack by Hamas killed over 1,400 people, primarily civilians, and led to the kidnapping of more than 200 individuals, marking one of the deadliest attacks in Israel’s history.
As airstrikes continued in Gaza, the Hamas government expressed frustration over the lack of aid despite the recent arrival of 37 trucks.
According to them, there are now 1.4 million displaced people within Gaza, and Hamas called on the international community to pressure Israel to allow in more aid.
Israeli warplanes targeted locations across Gaza, two airports in Syria, and a mosque in the occupied West Bank that was allegedly used by militants.
This escalation in the two-week-old conflict with Hamas raised concerns about a broader regional conflict.
Israel has engaged in near-daily exchanges of fire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group since the war began.
Tensions have also risen in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces have clashed with militants in refugee camps and carried out two airstrikes in recent days.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hezbollah that any aggression against Israel would result in a devastating response.
Israel’s military spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, stated that Israel has increased airstrikes across Gaza to target sites that reduce risks to its troops in the ongoing conflict.
