Israel launches ground invasion in southern Gaza after wreaking havoc in the north

After the absolute carnage in Northern Gaza, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has extended its offensive to the southern region, designated by its government as a 'safe place' where civilians have been urged to evacuate.

As reported by Reuters, Israeli airstrikes targetted the southern Gaza Strip on Monday, resulting in casualties among Palestinians, including in areas designated as shelters by Israel. 

Israeli ground forces, including troops and tanks, continued their campaign against Hamas fighters in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, having gained control of the north.

Addressing the situation at the United Nations, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged Israel to refrain from actions worsening the already dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza and to spare civilians from further suffering.

 The UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, emphasised the challenges faced by those ordered to evacuate, stating there is nowhere safe to go and very little to survive on.

BBC confirmed Israel's preparations for a ground invasion in Khan Younis. 

An Israeli lieutenant, quoted by BBC, asserted IDF’s “strong and thorough” efforts in both the northern and southern Gaza Strip.

"We fought strongly and thoroughly in the northern Gaza Strip, and we are also doing it now in the southern Gaza Strip," he told the IDF soldiers. 

According to Gaza health authorities, approximately 900 Palestinians have lost their lives in Israeli airstrikes since the cessation of a truce on Friday.

The government's media office reports that over 6,600 Palestinian children have been victims of Israeli forces in Gaza since October 7. 

Amid relentless bombardment, thousands more are unaccounted for under the debris.

Almost half of Gaza's population, totalling 2.3 million, is below the age of 18.

On October 7, news emerged that Israel had bulldozed the wall that imprisoned Gaza's 2.3 million population. Gaza, surrounded by Israel's apartheid wall, remains isolated from the rest of the world and faces a debilitating siege.