Israel launched massive new airstrikes on targets in Hamas-controlled Gaza overnight into Tuesday, with Palestinian officials saying that hundreds of people were killed, including at a seaside refugee camp.
As it holds off on a ground invasion into the besieged Palestinian territory aimed at wiping out Hamas, the Israeli military said its airstrikes had decimated more than 400 sites in the past 24 hours, after hitting 320 a day earlier.
The Hamas militant-controlled Gaza Health Ministry said at least 704 people were killed, although the toll could not be independently verified. The Palestinian Health Ministry said Tuesday the death toll in Gaza from more than two weeks of conflict had reached at least 5,791 people.
With the death toll mounting, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a cease-fire in Gaza, a stance that pushed Israel to call for his resignation.
In Washington, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby also rejected an immediate cease-fire, saying it would only benefit Hamas militants. However, Kirby did not rule out a humanitarian pause to allow more aid to be moved into Gaza to assist hundreds of thousands of displaced people.
With Israel planning a ground assault into Gaza, Kirby warned of more bloodshed and civilian casualties to come.
“This is war. It is combat. It is bloody. It is ugly, and it’s going to be messy,” he told reporters at the White House. “And innocent civilians are going to be hurt going forward. I wish I could tell you something different. I wish that that wasn’t going to happen.”
The latest Israeli attacks came as French President Emmanuel Macron visited Israel, becoming the latest world leader to bring both a message of solidarity with Israel following a deadly Hamas attack on October 7 and a push for protecting civilians in the Gaza Strip.
Macron told Israeli President Isaac Herzog that the Hamas attack on the Jewish state that killed more than 1,400 people will “never be forgotten” and that a top priority should be the release of more than 200 hostages held by Hamas.
“I want you to be sure that you are not left alone in this war against terrorism,” Macron said.
Appearing later before reporters with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Macron suggested the international coalition working to defeat the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria should also take on fighting Hamas.
The Israeli military said Tuesday its continued airstrikes on Gaza targeted Hamas operational headquarters and killed several Hamas deputy commanders.
Israeli strikes this week have also hit the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah, and Herzog warned Tuesday that if Hezbollah expands the conflict, then “Lebanon will pay the price.”
“I want to make clear: We are not looking for a confrontation on our northern border or with anyone else,” Herzog said. “We are focused on destroying Hamas infrastructure and bringing our citizens back home.”
The White House said that in a phone call Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden and Netanyahu discussed “ongoing efforts at regional deterrence, to including new U.S. military deployments” in the Middle East.
