Escalation of Conflict Between Israel and Hamas; Palestinian Sources Report 200 Deaths in Gaza in the Last 24 Hours

International media reported on Friday, December 29, that the conflict between the Israeli army and the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza has intensified, resulting in at least 200 deaths in the last 24 hours. According to Reuters, Israeli forces attacked Khan Younis on Friday in preparation for further advances towards the southern cities of the Gaza Strip. Some residents of Khan Younis reported an increase in gunfire and exchanges of fire between Israeli soldiers and Hamas forces, stating that they witnessed intensified tank fire and air bombardments on the city by Israel. Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced that it had discovered and destroyed a tunnel complex beneath one of the houses belonging to Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that his forces are reaching Hamas command centers and weapon storage facilities. Palestinian doctors and journalists reported that Israeli aircraft attacked the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza. Health officials in Gaza, affiliated with Hamas, claimed that another 187 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks over the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll in Gaza over the past 12 weeks since the war began to more than 21,000. However, these officials do not disclose how many of the deceased were from Hamas's 'terrorist' forces, and no independent source has confirmed these figures to date. Additionally, health officials and journalists in Gaza reported that a Palestinian journalist working for 'Al-Quds' television was killed along with several family members in an Israeli airstrike on their home in the Nuseirat camp. On the other hand, Israel announced on Friday that it had facilitated the entry of approximately 50,000 vaccine doses, sufficient to vaccinate about 1.4 million people against diseases including polio, tuberculosis, hepatitis, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, and meningitis. The entry of these vaccines was coordinated with UNICEF and aimed at preventing the spread of diseases in the Gaza region. In the October 7 attack on southern Israel, Hamas and its allies killed about 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians, and abducted around 240 individuals. It is estimated that 129 others are still hostages in Gaza. The U.S., Canada, the U.K., the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. The United Nations stated that to prevent the escalation of the Israel-Hamas war, tensions in the region must be reduced. Israel continues heavy attacks against Hamas, stating that it is making maximum efforts to avoid civilian casualties. The Biden administration once again approved emergency arms sales to Israel without congressional approval. Naftali Bennett revealed that he ordered 'attacks on Iran' twice. Joe Biden announced the death of another American hostage held by Hamas; Judith Weinstein was the wife of Gadi Hagi.