Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed at least 31 people and injured more than 260 people. Among the dead were six children and four women.
Health authorities in Gaza said a five-year-old girl was among 15 people killed since Friday.
In response, the Islamic Jihad, which is the smaller of the two main militant groups in Gaza, fired rockets at West Jerusalem from Gaza on Sunday. Witnesses report hearing rocket sirens and explosions on the Israeli side but no casualties were reported.
Israel’s military has warned its aerial and artillery strikes could last a week, saying that it was necessary to launch a “pre-emptive” operation against Islamic Jihad, as the group was planning an imminent attack following days of tensions along the border with Gaza.
The Israeli military said it killed Khalid Mansour, the Islamic Jihad military commander in the southern Gaza Strip.
The Gaza Strip, home to 2.1 million people, has been under an Israeli-imposed land, sea and air blockade for the past 15 years.
The latest violence is the most serious flare-up between Israel and Gaza since an 11-day conflict in May 2021 that left more than 200 Palestinians and 12 Israelis dead.
Daily life in the Gaza strip has come to a standstill, while the sole power station reportedly shut down due to a lack of fuel after Israel closed its border crossings.
Gaza’s health ministry said the next few hours will be “crucial and difficult,” warning it risked suspending vital services within 72 hours due to lack of electricity.
Immediate ceasefire needed to save lives
The United Nations has said it is “gravely concerned” by the fighting and appealed to both sides for an immediate de-escalation, warning that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is already dire and can only worsen with this most recent escalation.
Lynn Hastings, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the territory, warned that fuel for the Gaza Power Plant is due to run out this Saturday and electricity has already been cut.
“The continued operation of basic service facilities such as hospitals, schools, warehouses, and designated shelters for internally displaced persons is essential and now at risk”, she cautioned.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) urgently called on all parties to refrain from targeting civilians and work towards an immediate ceasefire. “Every single escalation of violence in Gaza comes at the cost of ordinary people, who pay the highest price for military actions. We urge all parties to protect civilians by all means, put an end to hostilities and work towards an immediate ceasefire,” NRC’s Middle East Regional Director Carsten Hansen said.
The United Arab Emirates mission to the United Nations, along with France, Ireland, Norway, and China, requested “a closed-door meeting” of the Security Council on Monday to discuss the developments in Gaza.
Talks underway for Egypt-brokered ceasefire
Israeli Intelligence Minister Elazar Stern says the military operation would but suggested that Israel is open to a ceasefire with the Gaza-based terror group.
Egypt is engaged in intensive talks to calm the deadly violence in Gaza and reach a ceasefire. An Egyptian intelligence delegation headed by Major-General Ahmed Abdelkhaliq arrived in Israel on Saturday for mediation talks.