Tel-Aviv - Israel conducted intense airstrikes on Khan Younis in southern Gaza, described by residents as the most severe bombing of the conflict, driving up the death toll as the United States and others urged it to do more to protect civilians a day after a truce collapsed.
The chances of additional cease-fires in Gaza dimmed as Israel withdrew its negotiators, and Hamas' deputy leader stated that any future exchange of Gaza-held hostages for Palestinians in Israeli prisons would only occur as part of concluding the war.
“We will continue the war until we achieve all its goals, and it’s impossible to achieve those goals without the ground operation,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an address Saturday night.
The Israeli military instructed evacuation further south, suspecting the presence of Hamas leaders among civilians seeking refuge.
The Hamas-run health ministry reported at least 193 people killed in the latest wave of Israeli attacks, bringing the total casualties in Gaza to over 15,200.
Growing pressure from the United States urged Israel to refrain from causing further harm. Vice President Kamala Harris expressed concern about the significant number of innocent Palestinians killed in Gaza, while Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized that Israel has a "moral responsibility" to protect civilians.
“Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering and the images and videos coming from Gaza are devastating,” U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters during the COP28 climate conference in Dubai.
Israel resumed its offensive, hitting more than 400 Hamas "terror targets" on the first day of the renewed operation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to continue until all goals, including eliminating Hamas and securing hostage release, are achieved.
The IDF's Arabic-language spokesman posted evacuation maps on social media, hinting at a possible imminent ground offensive. Hospitals, already overwhelmed, are struggling with limited resources.
Talks for a temporary ceasefire and the release of hostages collapsed, leading Israel to withdraw negotiators from talks in Qatar. US Vice President Kamala Harris, during a meeting with Egypt's president, affirmed the US would not permit forced Palestinian relocation and reiterated Israel's right to defend itself.
In a briefing, Netanyahu praised the release of hostages and acknowledged the ongoing challenges in the conflict.
On Saturday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said it had received the first convoy of aid trucks through the Rafah crossing with Egypt since fighting resumed. Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority, said 100 trucks entered including three carrying 150,000 liters (nearly 40,000 gallons) of fuel.
The resumption of hostilities has raised worries for the safety of 137 hostages, with the Israeli military indicating that 105 were released during the temporary truce.
At a gathering of tens of thousands in Tel Aviv, previously released hostages advocated for the release of the remaining captives. In a video message, 85-year-old Yaffa Adar emphasized the importance of seeing the children who are still held captive, stating, "I want to see them now, not when I'm in a coffin."
Throughout the truce, Israel released 240 Palestinians, with the majority of those freed by both sides being women and children.