Star in Israel: Why all eyes are on what Israel does next in its war with Hamas

 By Marco Chown Oved Climate Change Reporter

Sunday, October 15, 2023

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL—As anxiety mounted Sunday over a potential Israeli ground invasion into Gaza, civilians were trapped amid escalating violence, powerless to save themselves or defuse the situation.

While Gazans are running out of water as they cower under falling bombs, the roughly 150 Israeli hostages taken during last week’s terror attacks now face the prospect of being used as human shields.

As a result, both residents of Gaza and the Israeli captives are caught in the middle.

“We are in a real humanitarian crisis. It’s not a war. There’s no real fighting. It’s only the targeting of civilians’ houses, ambulances and hospitals. This is what’s been happening every day,” said Samir, a Gazan who managed to get a message out to the Star before power was cut and his phone’s battery ran out.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) says it targets only Hamas fighters and infrastructure and takes extensive precautions to prevent civilian deaths, including sending text messages warning people before bombs are dropped.

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/star-in-israel-why-all-eyes-are-on-what-israel-does-next-in-its-war/article_be014122-63ab-5a8a-8bb7-fc1328a08076.html#tncms-source=login