Thousands of Palestinians flee southern Gaza as Israel warns of ground offensive

In response to Israel's warning of a planned ground offensive against Hamas, thousands of Palestinians have fled to southern Gaza seeking refuge. The Israeli army recently conducted "localised" raids into Gaza over the last 24 hours, with the objective of eliminating terrorists, weaponry, and locating "missing persons," according to an official statement from the Israeli military.

Israel has accused Hamas of taking around 150 hostages, including Israelis, foreign nationals, and individuals with dual nationalities during attacks last week.

Additionally, Israeli fighter jets launched an airstrike that killed Murad Abu Murad, a senior Hamas commander responsible for the group's aerial operations in Gaza City. Meanwhile, in a separate incident, Israeli forces identified and neutralized "several terrorists" attempting to cross into Israel from Lebanon.

This escalation of violence has had repercussions beyond the region, with protests in various Middle Eastern and international cities expressing support for Palestinians and condemnation of Israeli airstrikes on residential areas, which have resulted in civilian casualties.

The United Nations has criticized Israel's directive for 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza to relocate to the south within 24 hours, calling it "impossible" and a potential crime against humanity. Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that Gaza's healthcare system is overwhelmed by the number of casualties from the continuous Israeli airstrikes and shelling.