Israel launched a series of airstrikes on targets in the Gaza Strip on Saturday, while also dropping leaflets in the southern area of Rafah urging Palestinians to help locate hostages held by Hamas.
Palestinian fighters engaged in battles with Israeli tanks in the eastern suburbs of the Jabalia area, as Israel began withdrawing troops and shifting to smaller-scale operations. The Israeli military stated that their aircraft struck militant squads attempting to plant explosives near troops and fire missiles at tanks in northern Gaza, and that they were targeting various locations throughout Gaza.
Witnesses in the southern area of Khan Younis claimed that tanks shelled areas around Nasser Hospital overnight, describing the bombardment as the most intense in many days. Nasser Hospital is currently Gaza's largest functioning hospital, and Israel alleges that Hamas fighters operate from within and around hospitals, including Nasser. However, Hamas and medical staff deny these allegations. The Israeli military reported that in Khan Younis, they raided a military compound, neutralized ready-to-use rocket launchers, and discovered explosives hidden underground. Additionally, an aircraft struck two gunmen in the area. In north Gaza, Israeli troops raided a weapons site and confiscated enough chemical materials and gear to build approximately 800 rockets.
Residents reported that Israeli planes and tanks intensified their bombardment in Jabalia, Khan Younis, and Rafah during the night. Health officials stated that five people were killed when an Israeli airstrike hit a house in Jabalia. In Rafah, medics reported that four people were killed and others were wounded when an Israeli airstrike hit a car in the middle of the city. The Israeli military said it was checking the report. According to the Gaza health ministry, Israeli strikes had killed 165 people and wounded 280 others in the past 24 hours, making it one of the highest death tolls in a single day in 2024. The ministry did not differentiate between combatants and non-combatants in its daily toll, but health officials claim that the majority of the 24,927 Palestinians killed since the war began on October 7 are civilians.
The conflict has not been limited to Gaza alone. Iran stated that an Israeli strike on Syria's capital, Damascus, killed five members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards and an unspecified number of Syrian troops. Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas in Gaza after the group's fighters entered Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians, and taking 253 hostages back to Gaza. Israel claims to have killed approximately 9,000 militants so far. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to continue the war until Hamas is defeated and the remaining hostages are safely released.
During more than 100 days of war, Israel's air, land, and sea offensive has caused extensive damage in Gaza, displacing most of the population of 2.3 million. Many Palestinians have been forced to move repeatedly and seek refuge in tents that provide little protection from the elements and disease, according to the United Nations. In Rafah, where over a million Palestinians are taking shelter, Israel dropped leaflets showing photos of 33 hostages, with their names written in Arabic, urging the displaced to make contact. The leaflets stated, "Do you want to return home? Please make the call if you recognize one of them." Abu Ali, a resident of north Gaza, said, "They are asking for people's help because they are unable to get to their hostages because of the resistance. End the war, Netanyahu, and get your people back."
Although more than 100 hostages seized by Hamas were freed during a short-lived truce in November, Israel claims that 132 hostages remain in Gaza, 27 of whom have been killed while in captivity. In Israel, families of the hostages have camped outside Netanyahu's residence in Caesarea, demanding action. Eli Stivi, whose son Idan is being held incommunicado in Gaza, said, "He needs to choose one (deal) and end the hostage saga."
In a separate incident, American troops at Iraq's Ain al-Asad air base were hit by a missile barrage on Saturday. The U.S. personnel suffered minor injuries, while a member of Iraq's security forces was seriously wounded. Initial reports indicated that the base was hit by ballistic missiles, but the possibility of rockets was not ruled out. Two security sources in Iraq and one government source stated that the base was hit by multiple rockets fired from inside Iraq. A second U.S. official confirmed that the attack was carried out by militants from inside Iraq.
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October, Iran-backed militants have targeted the U.S. military at least 58 times in Iraq and 83 times in Syria, using a combination of rockets and one-way attack drones. These militants seek to retaliate against the United States for its support of Israel against Hamas. The U.S. has 900 troops deployed in Syria and 2,500 stationed in Iraq, with a mission to advise and assist local forces in preventing a resurgence of the Islamic State.
Since November, Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched attacks on vessels and ships heading to Israel or connected to the UK and the U.S. This Iranian-backed group, which controls large parts of Yemen, has used missiles and drones to target commercial shipping. As a result, many ships have altered their routes to avoid the Red Sea. In response to these attacks, the U.S. military has conducted large-scale airstrikes against several Houthi targets in Yemen. Reports indicate that the strikes involved missiles launched from U.S. Navy ships and submarines. The UK military has also been involved in these airstrikes.
Meanwhile, Pakistan launched several missile strikes into Iran, resulting in the deaths of nine people. Pakistan claims that the strikes targeted "terrorist hideouts" containing Baloch separatists in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province, located about 70 miles from the Iran-Pakistan border. However, Iran has publicly condemned the attack, stating that three women, two men, and four children who were not Iranian were killed. Iraq is deeply concerned about becoming a battleground between the United States, Israel, and Iran. Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's office announced plans to evict U.S. forces following a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad that was condemned by the government. The Pentagon stated that the strike killed a militia leader responsible for recent attacks on U.S. personnel. The Pentagon has not received formal notification of any plans to end the U.S. troop presence in Iraq and maintains that its troops are deployed in Iraq at the invitation of the government in Baghdad.
On Monday, Iran launched ballistic missiles at Erbil, the capital of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, claiming it was an attack on an Israeli spy headquarters. However, these claims were denied by Iraqi and Iraqi Kurdish officials.
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