Israel-Hamas War, Day 59: Tensions Escalate In Middle East As Gaza Conflict Widens

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have resumed and expanded their ground operation against Hamas’ strongholds across the Gaza Strip, after negotiations to extend the ceasefire collapsed last Friday, marking a significant escalation as the conflict enters its 59th day.

The military operation now spans from the Shejaiya neighborhood of Gaza City in the north to Khan Younis in the south, covering the entirety of the enclave.

Here are the latest developments:

Evacuation orders in Southern Gaza: The IDF has issued evacuation orders for several areas to the southeast of Khan Younis, reflecting the operation’s expansion into southern Gaza. Israel’s defense forces have also released a map indicating significant parts of Khan Younis marked for immediate evacuation, as CNN reported. Israeli media outlets have released footage capturing the moment the High Court of Justice building in central Gaza was destroyed on Sunday.

Gaza hospitals overwhelmed: According to a Gaza Health Ministry official, hospitals in the region are overwhelmed with an increasing number of casualties, as they struggle to manage the “influx of dead bodies” resulting from the ongoing conflict, as Al Jazeera reported.

Ceasefire breakdown and hostage dynamics: The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, initially established on Nov. 24 and extended twice, ended on Friday, Reuters reported. During the ceasefire, an exchange occurred where Hamas released 105 hostages for 240 Palestinian detainees. However, the truce ended over disputes regarding further hostage releases. Israel reports that 136 hostages are still held in the enclave.

Israel withdraws negotiators from Qatar: Israel has retracted its negotiation team from Qatar as of Saturday, following an impasse in discussions, the Times of Israel reported. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s office released a statement criticizing Hamas for not adhering to the terms of the agreement, particularly the release of all women and children hostages.

Escalation in the Red Sea: Iran-backed Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked three commercial vessels in the Red Sea on Sunday. A U.S. warship neutralized three drones, according to statements from the U.S. military. The Houthi rebels, who receive support from Iran, have taken responsibility for two of these attacks. These strikes are seen as an intensification of the ongoing maritime conflicts in the Middle East, which are increasingly being linked to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, as reported by AP News.

Erdogan accuses Netanyahu of war crimes: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has strongly criticized Netanyahu, comparing him to former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic and accusing him of war crimes, The Times of Israel reported. Erdogan’s harsh remarks, delivered at an Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Istanbul, continue his vocal opposition to Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Market reactions: Israeli domestic stocks as monitored through the Tel Aviv 125 index were 0.2% lower on Monday, with the Israeli shekel also screening a similar daily performance.

The iShares MSCI Israel ETF EIS inched 0.2% higher, while Cathie Wood’s ARK Israel Innovative Technology ETF IZRL fell 0.5%.

Amid rising geopolitical fears, gold as tracked by the SPDR Gold Trust GLD, briefly hit over $2,100/oz overnight, before pulling back to $2,050/oz. Bitcoin BTC/USD was 4% higher to over $41,000, hitting April 2022’s levels.

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