Israelis and Palestinians end dark year, with no end in sight to war

Israelis and Palestinians concluded a grim year on Sunday, with no foreseeable end to the deadliest military offensive on Gaza, instigated by Hamas' most lethal attack on Israel. There has been no cessation from Israel's air strikes, artillery fire or ground combat with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, much to the despair of Palestinians enduring the onslaught.

Mahmoud Abou Shahma, residing in a camp for displaced individuals in Rafah, on the Egyptian border, expressed, 'We were optimistic that 2024 would commence under improved circumstances and that we would be able to commemorate the new year at home with our families. ' He also voiced his hope for the war to cease and for the opportunity to return to their homes and live in tranquility.

A woman, along with her children, was evacuated from the Gaza Strip to the Rafah border crossing in northeastern Egypt. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reports that the Israeli military campaign has resulted in the death of at least 21,672 individuals, predominantly women and children – the heaviest death toll of any Israeli operation to date. On Sunday, the ministry reported numerous fatalities in overnight strikes on central Gaza's Zawayda and the nearby Al-Mughazi refugee camp.