Israeli Army Advances in Central and Southern Gaza; Hamas Reports 100 Dead

As heavy air and artillery attacks by Israel continue, the country's tanks have advanced in the central and southern regions of Gaza over the past 24 hours. According to Reuters, late on Friday night, January 8, and early Saturday morning, January 9, the al-Bureij, Nuseirat, Maghazi camps, and Khan Younis were at the center of the clashes. Reuters quoted a senior health official in Gaza, controlled by Hamas, reporting that 100 Palestinians were killed and 150 others injured in central Gaza over the last 24 hours. The Persian section of Voice of America cannot independently verify the figures provided by Hamas. Israel has repeatedly stated that Hamas uses civilians and hospitals and schools as human shields. Reuters reported that at al-Nasr Hospital in Khan Younis, the largest and most important health facility in southern Gaza, images released by the Palestinian Red Crescent show ambulances carrying injured children through the devastated streets of the area. 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. The escalation of the conflict in Gaza comes as the United States has asked Israel in recent weeks to shift from a full-scale ground invasion to a campaign targeting Hamas leaders. Simultaneously, the U.S. State Department announced on Friday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Congress of a "second emergency decision" to sell $147.5 million worth of equipment for the production of 155mm artillery shells needed by Israel. The State Department emphasized that "given the urgency of Israel's defense needs, the Secretary informed Congress that he used his delegated authority to determine the existence of an emergency for the immediate approval of this transfer." Humanitarian aid to Gaza: Israel announced on Friday that, in coordination with the United Nations Children's Agency, UNICEF, it facilitated the entry of vaccines into Gaza to prevent the outbreak of diseases. An Israeli government spokesperson stated that the country has no problem delivering humanitarian aid to the residents of Gaza, but the distribution of this aid has created issues for the residents. Al-Bureij, Nuseirat, and Khan Younis are among the eight Palestinian refugee camps in Gaza that receive assistance from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which provides aid to Palestinians living in camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the West Bank, and Gaza. A Palestinian journalist was killed along with several other family members on Friday due to an Israeli attack on the Nuseirat camp. Hamas claims that 106 Palestinian journalists have been killed as a result of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip. The Committee to Protect Journalists has also expressed concern over the high number of journalists killed during the conflicts in Gaza. Israel has repeatedly stated that it does not intend to kill journalists and seeks to avoid civilian casualties during its attacks on Hamas. Almost the entire population of 2.3 million in Gaza has been forced to leave their homes due to the Israeli invasion of this densely populated strip, which began following Hamas's deadly and terrorist attack on southern Israel on October 7. The mid-October terrorist attack by Hamas resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the kidnapping of 240 others, with estimates indicating that 129 hostages remain in captivity by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. According to health officials in Gaza controlled by Hamas, 21,500 Palestinians have lost their lives as a result of the Israeli invasion of Gaza. The U.S., Canada, the UK, the European Union, Japan, Israel, and several other countries have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. The World Health Organization has expressed concern over the outbreak of infectious diseases in Gaza. The escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas; Palestinian sources say 200 people have been killed in Gaza in the past 24 hours. Saudi media: 11 commanders and members of the IRGC were killed in an Israeli attack in Syria. Naftali Bennett revealed: I ordered an "attack on Iran" twice. Joe Biden reported the death of another American hostage held by Hamas; Judith Weinstein was the wife of Gadi Hagin. Netanyahu: We are negotiating for the release of hostages in Gaza. Hamas says: An Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza left 20 dead. Concerns of Lebanese analysts about the future of Lebanon; can the army contain Hezbollah? Attack on UN vehicles in southern Lebanon; clashes between Israel and Hezbollah continue. Israel announced an attack on Hamas financing sources in the West Bank.