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Israel resumes ground offensive in Gaza, sparking protests and humanitarian crisis

By isabelle // 2025-03-20

• Israel launched a new ground offensive in Gaza, ending a two-month ceasefire and causing widespread chaos.
• Over 510 Palestinians, including 183 children, have been killed in three days, overwhelming hospitals and depleting medical supplies.
• The IDF expanded control over the Netzarim Corridor, reversing ceasefire progress and leaving civilians with no safe evacuation routes.
• International outcry has grown, with the UN condemning attacks on humanitarian sites and protests erupting in Israel against Netanyahu’s policies.
• Gaza faces a deepening humanitarian crisis, with famine looming and vital infrastructure destroyed.

Israel has launched a new ground offensive in Gaza, shattering a fragile two-month ceasefire and plunging the besieged enclave into chaos. The operation, which began Wednesday, has already claimed the lives of at least 70 Palestinians in airstrikes and ground assaults, according to Gaza health officials. The renewed military campaign, described by Israeli officials as “just the beginning,” has drawn widespread international condemnation and reignited protests both in Gaza and Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced they had expanded their control over the Netzarim Corridor, a key buffer zone dividing northern and southern Gaza. This move effectively reverses the limited progress made during the ceasefire, which had allowed some Palestinians to return to their devastated homes. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Gaza residents to evacuate battle zones, but with the Egyptian border closed and humanitarian aid blocked, hundreds of thousands of civilians have nowhere to flee.

Death and destruction mount

The toll of Israel’s renewed assault is staggering. Over the past three days, more than 510 Palestinians have been killed, including at least 183 children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Hospitals, already overwhelmed, are struggling to cope with the influx of casualties. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warned that medical supplies are critically low, and staff are unable to manage the sharp increase in injuries. “Due to the recent suspension of humanitarian aid into Gaza, stocks of medical supplies have dropped significantly,” the ICRC said in a statement. “Hospital staff are struggling to manage the sharp increase of casualties.” The IDF’s ground operations have also targeted vital infrastructure, including the Salahuddin Road, the main north-south route in Gaza. Witnesses reported Israeli tanks and bulldozers advancing along the road, firing on vehicles and forcing residents to flee. “Bulldozers protected by some tanks were heading to the west coming from the areas where they are stationed near the fence east of the Salahuddin road,” one taxi driver told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

International outcry and protests

The resumption of hostilities has sparked outrage globally. The United Nations condemned an attack on a UN guesthouse in central Gaza that killed a foreign aid worker and injured five others. UN officials called for a full investigation, emphasizing that attacks on humanitarian premises violate international law. In Israel, thousands of protesters gathered outside the Knesset, accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using the war to bolster his political standing. Critics argue that Netanyahu’s refusal to negotiate a lasting ceasefire has prolonged the conflict and endangered the lives of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas. Hamas, for its part, has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement and called on mediators to intervene. “The ground operation and the incursion into the Netzarim Corridor were a new and dangerous violation,” the group said in a statement.

A humanitarian catastrophe

The renewed violence has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The enclave, home to 2.3 million people, has been reduced to rubble after 17 months of war. Food, water, and medical supplies are scarce, and the blockade imposed by Israel has left residents with no means of escape. “We are on the brink of famine threatening the residents of the Gaza Strip,” warned Mahmoud Basal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense. As the death toll rises and international condemnation grows, the prospects for peace appear increasingly bleak. Israel’s determination to eradicate Hamas has come at an unimaginable cost to Palestinian civilians. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com Reuters.com CNN.com Reuters.com

Israel violence corruption genocide tyranny conspiracy deception Hamas chaos WWIII humanitarian crisis Gaza