Palestinian Hamas announced on Monday a death toll of 24,100 in Israeli bombings on the Gaza Strip, at 101e day of a war which caused shock waves in the region.
Deadly violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and along the Israel-Lebanon border, as well as US strikes against Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi rebels that threaten international maritime traffic in the Red Sea, raise fears of an escalation of the conflict beyond the Gaza Strip.
The war between Israel and Hamas was triggered by an unprecedented attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement on October 7 from the Gaza Strip, which left around 1,140 dead on Israeli soil, the majority civilians killed that day, according to an AFP count made from official Israeli data.
Some 250 people were taken hostage during this attack, and 132 are still in Gaza, of whom at least 25 were killed, according to Israeli authorities. About a hundred were released under a truce at the end of November.
In retaliation, Israel vowed to annihilate Hamas, in power in Gaza since 2007. In the Gaza Strip, the conflict has left 24,100 dead, mainly women, adolescents and children, according to the latest report from the Ministry of Health. of Hamas, a movement described as a “terrorist organization” by Israel, the United States and the European Union.
“Risk of famine and epidemics”
The Israeli army accuses Hamas fighters of operating from civilian installations or tunnels beneath them, something the Islamist movement denies.
“More than 60 martyrs and dozens of wounded in new massacres committed last night and at dawn by the occupying forces,” the Hamas government press office wrote on Monday.
The Israeli army for its part indicated that its forces had struck “two terrorists loading weapons into a vehicle” in Khan Younes (south), and attacked “a Hamas command center” then seized weapons.
According to the Hamas press release, the strikes targeted Khan Younes and Rafah (south), where the Israeli army is now concentrating its offensive, as well as other areas of the besieged territory.
The 2.4 million inhabitants of the Gaza Strip lack everything: food, medicine and fuel. The UN estimates that 1.9 million people have had to leave their homes.
“There is no food, water or heat. We are freezing to death,” said Mohammad Kahil, displaced from northern Gaza in Rafah.
In a joint statement, Unicef, the World Food Program and the World Health Organization warned on Monday of a “risk of famine” and “epidemics of deadly diseases” in the Gaza Strip, calling for “fundamental changes” in the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The three organizations demand in particular: “the opening of new entry routes, the authorization of entry for more trucks daily through border checkpoints, fewer restrictions on the movements of humanitarian workers and security guarantees for people accessing and distributing aid.”
Missile shot down in Red Sea
The conflict also fuels violence in the region with armed groups in solidarity with Hamas. Exchanges of fire between the Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah and Israeli forces have been almost daily since the start of the war in Gaza.
On Sunday, the pro-Iranian group said it had carried out six attacks on Israeli soil, including one on a village which left two dead. According to the Israeli army, these are two civilians, mother and son, killed by a missile fire from Lebanon.
Tensions have also increased in the Red Sea where Yemeni Houthi rebels supported by Iran are attacking ships believed to be linked to Israel. The United States and the United Kingdom carried out strikes against Houthi sites on Friday and Saturday.
The US military announced on Sunday that its air force had shot down a cruise missile fired towards the destroyer USS Laboon off the coast of Hodeida, in the southern Red Sea, from areas controlled by the Houthis.
It appears to be the first missile fired at a US warship by the Houthis since Friday’s strikes.
Houthi media reported new Anglo-American strikes on the port city of Hodeida on Sunday evening, but Washington denied this.
Support for hostages
In Israel, thousands of people expressed solidarity on Sunday with the hostages held in the Palestinian territory by Hamas and its allies to mark 100 days since their kidnapping and support the mobilization of their families.
The armed wing of Hamas released a video on Sunday showing three Israeli hostages alive, two men and a woman. This video gives no indication of when it was filmed. The three hostages ask the Israeli authorities in Hebrew to act for their release.
In Turkey, a fervent supporter of the Palestinian cause, two Israeli footballers playing for first division clubs find themselves accused of inciting hatred for having expressed their support for the hostages held in Gaza on the occasion of the hundredth day of conflict between Israel and Palestinian Hamas.
Released Monday at the end of his police custody pending his trial, Sagiv Jehezkel, 28, player of the Antalya club (South), was arrested Sunday evening for having worn a bandage on his wrist on which was writes “100 days. 07/10” — marking the date of the massacres committed by Hamas in Israel and the start of the war.
Another Israeli player in the Turkish championship, Eden Karzev, 23, also finds himself in trouble with his Istanbul club, Basaksehir, for holding up a sign on Instagram demanding in English: “100 — Bring them home NOW “.