At least 51 Palestinians were killed last Sunday as a result of Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. This was reported by the Qatari television channel Al Jazeera.
According to the media, the military carried out air strikes, carried out artillery shelling and fired "meat" with small arms.
In the evening, the Israeli Air Force bombed the Nasser medical complex in the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Palestinian enclave.
As a result, five people were killed, including a member of the politburo of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas, Ismail Barhoum, who was there for treatment. The administration of the complex reported that the surgical ward was completely out of order.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the death toll from the new escalation in Gaza has exceeded 600, while more than a thousand people have been injured, 70% of whom are women, children and the elderly. Meanwhile, the number of Palestinians killed in military operations in the enclave since October 2023 has already exceeded 50,000, with over 113,000 injured.
On March 18, the Israeli army resumed military operations in Gaza, launching massive strikes against the enclave, thus breaking the ceasefire established in January of this year. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office explained this by Hamas's rejection of the proposals made during the negotiations by mediators and the US President's special envoy Stephen Witkoff, stating that the goal of the operation in the Gaza Strip is the release of all hostages. The radicals accused Israel and the US of the renewal of hostilities.
The Israeli armed forces said that one of their divisions, which was stationed in Lebanon, is preparing for possible actions in Gaza, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
„After assessing the situation, the 36th division began preparations for operations in the Southern Command. In recent months, the division has completed its operations in Lebanon, as well as several months of operational activity in the northern arena,“ the military said in a statement.
The armed forces released a video clip showing tanks being unloaded in a field. At the bottom of the video, a caption reads: “Preparation of the 36th Division for operations in the Gaza Strip“.
"The suffering (in Gaza) must end," said the head of European diplomacy, Kaia Kallas, last night, upon her arrival in Israel, where calls for an immediate return to the ceasefire agreement to stop the destruction of Gaza are expected, reported Agence France-Presse, quoted by BTA.
"Israel's military offensive has resulted in horrific human casualties. As long as this war continues, both sides will lose," she stressed, ahead of upcoming meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
"Israel has the right to defend itself, but it must respect civilian life and humanitarian law. Threats to annex parts of the Gaza Strip are unacceptable," added Kallas.
"During my talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, I will emphasize the urgency of negotiations. All hostages must be released immediately. The suffering must end. The destruction of Gaza only fuels radicalization," she stressed.
The EU's top diplomat is expected to meet Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and opposition leader Yair Lapid today, as well as visit the Palestinian territories for talks with President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa.
Relations with Israel have been deeply divided among EU countries since the Gaza war, with some emphasizing Israel's right to defend itself while others insist on an end to the fighting and the Palestinians' right to a state, AFP notes.
Yesterday, Kaya Kallas was in Egypt to discuss the Arab plan for the reconstruction of Gaza.
"Gaza belongs to the Palestinians. When this war is over, Gaza must be rebuilt as quickly as possible, and the plan supported by Arab countries offers a realistic way to achieve this goal," she said.
The Arab initiative was conceived as a response to US President Donald Trump's plan to take control of the Palestinian territory and displace its inhabitants, AFP recalls. Prepared by Egypt, it envisages the reconstruction of Gaza, destroyed by the 15-month war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement "Hamas", without displacing its 2.4 million inhabitants.
The plan effectively excludes "Hamas" and envisages the return of the Palestinian Authority, which was expelled from the territory in 2007 by the Islamist movement.
Israel reported a sharp increase in the number of wounded security forces personnel, ahead of the start of the first international rehabilitation conference on Tuesday, the Israeli news agency TPS reported, quoted by BTA.
According to data published by the Rehabilitation Department of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, more than 78,000 wounded individuals are currently receiving care, including 16,000 who were admitted after the attack by “Hamas“ on October 7, 2023.
Sixty-six percent of the wounded are reserve soldiers, and more than half (51%) are between the ages of 18 and 30. Seven percent of the wounded are women. Approximately 10,900 people suffer from physical injuries, and half of those treated suffer from psychological trauma. About 2,900 individuals sustained both physical and psychological injuries.
The severity of the injuries varied, with 6% classified as moderate and 4% as severe. Seventy-two injured individuals suffered amputations and received prosthetic limbs.
The Ministry of Defense estimates that the average annual cost of treating and supporting one wounded person in the war is approximately 150,000 shekels (US$40,300). It is expected that by 2030 The department will be responsible for about 100,000 disabled IDF veterans, half of whom will suffer from psychological conditions. In addition, 8,300 individuals injured in past conflicts have requested recognition of their disabilities. The first international conference of the ministry's Rehabilitation Department will be held on Tuesday at Tel Aviv University, with representatives from more than 20 countries, including medical and rehabilitation experts from the armed forces, defense ministries and health ministries from around the world. The upcoming international conference will provide a platform to discuss rehabilitation strategies and strengthen global partnerships in the field of veterans' care. At least 1,180 people were killed and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in the attacks by “Hamas“ against Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Thirty-six of the remaining 59 hostages are believed to be dead.