Israeli Army: Khan Younis is Under Complete Siege

Images released by the Israeli army on Thursday, December 7, show that the country's forces have besieged Khan Younis, the main city in southern Gaza, and the home of Yahya Sinwar, a senior Hamas leader believed to be hiding underground. The 61-year-old Sinwar is one of the three members of Hamas's military council who planned and executed the attacks on Israel on October 7. Avichai Adraee, the Arabic spokesperson for the Israeli army, stated that there are clashes in parts of Salah al-Din Road in Khan Younis and advised against approaching the area. However, movement from Khan Younis on designated routes will be permitted. On Monday, December 4, Israel warned Palestinian residents in the Khan Youssef areas in southern Gaza via a map to head towards Rafah at the border with Egypt. Meanwhile, an American official told NBC News that Israel intends to flood Hamas's tunnel network in southern Gaza with seawater. On the other hand, Israel's war cabinet agreed to increase the 'minimum' fuel allowed to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on the messaging platform 'X' that this action was taken to 'prevent a collapse of humanitarian conditions and the outbreak of epidemics.' However, according to NBC News, Mr. Netanyahu's focus on military operations following Hamas's violation of a week-long ceasefire has not only raised concerns in the international community but also increased anger and fear among the families of hostages still held by Hamas. According to the report, less than 24 hours after a meeting of the families of these hostages and members of the war cabinet on Wednesday, December 6, a group representing these families wrote to the government asking for the release of the hostages to be prioritized and for an immediate agreement for their freedom. One participant in the meeting, holding an hourglass, said, 'Time is running out.' In a statement released after this meeting, Netanyahu said he shares the deep concerns of families whose loved ones remain captive in Gaza and added that the government is working to bring all hostages, 'male and female soldiers, male and female civilians, young and old, all without exception, back home.' Hamas militants killed at least 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians, in the October 7 attacks on Israel and took about 240 hostages, including children, women, and the elderly, to Gaza. Some hostages were released in a week-long ceasefire agreement that Hamas violated, but according to Israel, 138 people, including 20 women and ten individuals over the age of 75, are still held by Hamas. The United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Israel, and several other countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, a senior Egyptian government official said on Thursday that Cairo is working to expedite the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of Israeli attacks against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Rafah crossing at the border with Egypt has been the only entry point for aid trucks carrying food, medicine, water, and fuel. According to Reuters, the number of trucks passing through this crossing daily has decreased from about 200 during the week-long ceasefire to less than 100 in recent days. The United Nations reported that on Wednesday, 80 trucks carrying humanitarian aid and 69,000 liters of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt. According to this report, Egypt, along with the United Nations, has asked Israel to expedite the inspection of aid trucks. Hossein Aghaei: Israel is trying to eliminate senior Hamas commanders at this stage of its operations. Special program: Exclusive interview with the former head of Mossad. Joe Biden: Everyone must strongly condemn the sexual violence of Hamas terrorists without exception. Borrell: The Security Council must act to prevent a 'complete collapse of humanitarian conditions' in Gaza. Blinken emphasized the importance of not expanding the war between Israel and Hamas during a call with his Chinese counterpart. The U.S. State Department urged Israel to facilitate the delivery of more aid to Gaza.