Israeli Tanks Advance Into Central Khan Yunis Amid Intensified Gaza Conflict
Israeli tanks pushed deep into Khan Yunis, the central city in the southern Gaza Strip, following intense combat that slowed their advance from the east. This new phase in Israel’s two-month campaign comes after a failed truce, signaling a significant expansion of the ground war into Gaza’s southern half.
Residents of Khan Yunis reported tanks reaching Jamal Abdel-Nasser Street at the city’s core after a night filled with heavy fighting. Warplanes bombarded the area to the west, and the air reverberated with explosions, sending white smoke billowing over the city’s deserted streets.
In addition to the southern front, heavy fighting was reported in northern Gaza, previously declared by Israel as an area where its mission was largely accomplished. Explosions and smoke were visible from Israel, signaling continued unrest.
Israel’s objective is the complete destruction Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007. This stance hardened after terrorists crossed into Israeli territory on Oct. 7, going on a rampage of atrocities that killed more than 1,300 Israelis and foreign nationals, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people back to the Gaza Strip as hostages. Since then, the death toll on the Israeli side has risen to more than 1,400.
Gaza’s health authorities report at least 17,700 deaths due to Israeli strikes, with thousands more missing. Most residents have been displaced, with hospitals nonfunctional in northern Gaza.
At an international conference in Doha, Qatar, which mediated a weeklong truce, Arab foreign ministers condemned the US for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution demanding a humanitarian cease-fire. Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani warned of the war’s potential to radicalize an entire generation in the Middle East.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres vowed to continue seeking a cease-fire, despite the Security Council’s inaction. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while briefing his cabinet, maintained that ending the war prematurely would hinder the goal of eliminating Hamas, a stance supported by the US. However, rising death tolls and humanitarian crises have led to international pressure, with France supporting the UN cease-fire resolution and the UK abstaining.
