Conflict in Gaza Reaches 100-Day Mark with Intensified Fighting

Israeli tanks and aircraft conducted strikes in southern and central Gaza on Sunday, marking the 100th day since the October 7 assault led by Hamas gunmen. Fierce gun battles erupted in various areas, with communications and internet services remaining disrupted for the third consecutive day. This has posed significant challenges for emergency and ambulance crews trying to assist those affected by the ongoing conflict.

The southern city of Khan Younis witnessed concentrated fighting, where Hamas claimed its fighters successfully targeted an Israeli tank. Additionally, clashes occurred in Al-Bureij and Al Maghazi in central Gaza, resulting in the military reporting the deaths of several militants. The Israeli military also announced the destruction of rocket pits used by Hamas to launch missiles at Israel.

In the past 24 hours, the Gaza health ministry reported 125 fatalities and 265 injuries, bringing the total confirmed death toll to nearly 24,000, with over 60,000 wounded since the commencement of the war.

Speaking via video link to a conference in Istanbul, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh commended the October 7 attack by the group’s fighters on Israeli communities surrounding the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli estimates, the attack led to the death of more than 1,200 people, with around 240 hostages seized. Haniyeh emphasized that their actions were, in part, a response to the prolonged Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip since 2007.

The Israeli military has announced a shift to a new phase of the war, focusing on the southern end of the territory, where nearly 2 million people are seeking shelter in tents and temporary accommodations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed calls for a cease-fire, expressing determination to continue until achieving complete victory over Hamas. The military’s plans involve more targeted operations against the movement’s leaders and military positions.

On the northern border with Lebanon, the Israeli military reported killing four armed militants attempting to cross the border. Meanwhile, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, violence escalated, with Israeli forces allegedly killing three Palestinians, including a 14-year-old boy, in separate incidents in Hebron and Jericho.

In Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, a 17-year-old high school student named Nana, who was displaced from northern Gaza, expressed the profound impact of the 100-day war on their lives. Nana demanded an end to the war and compensation for the psychological damage of displacement and the hardships endured by the affected population.