In a dramatic and ongoing escalation of hostilities in the troubled region, Israeli ground forces launched an extensive assault on Hamas and its infrastructure in northern Gaza on Tuesday.
This military operation comes as the conflict enters its fourth week, resulting in the displacement of approximately 800,000 residents in the region who have fled their homes to escape the violence.
Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes continued their relentless airstrikes across the sealed-off Gaza Strip.
This offensive follows the recent rescue of a captive held by Hamas, which has emboldened Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's resolve to reject calls for a cease-fire.
He is determined to obliterate Hamas' ability to govern Gaza or pose a threat to Israel, stemming from the Oct. 7 incursion.
The Israeli military reported that, during this extensive assault, a special forces operation successfully rescued one of the estimated 240 captives taken by Hamas.
This accomplishment reinforces Netanyahu's belief that ground operations will aid in the recovery of additional hostages rather than putting them in increased danger.
The rescued captive, Pvt. Ori Megidish, aged 19, is reported to be in good health and has been reunited with her family.
Hamas has, in a gesture of goodwill, released four hostages and indicated their willingness to release the remaining captives in exchange for the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
However, Israel has dismissed this offer.
On Monday, Hamas released a brief video featuring three other female captives.
Over half of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians have been displaced, with hundreds of thousands seeking refuge in overcrowded U.N.-run schools and makeshift shelters, often alongside thousands of wounded individuals.
Israeli airstrikes have come perilously close to several northern hospitals in recent days, causing growing concern among medical personnel.
Jonathan Conricus, an Israeli military spokesperson, revealed that ground operations are predominantly concentrated in northern Gaza, including the densely populated Gaza City, which is considered the "center of gravity" for Hamas.
Nevertheless, strikes continue in various other areas of Gaza as well, "targeting Hamas commanders and their infrastructure."
Larger ground operations have been initiated both to the north and east of Gaza City, an area that, before the war, was home to over 650,000 people.
Video footage released by the military portrays soldiers advancing across open terrain amid heavy gunfire, taking positions amid the ruins of heavily damaged structures.
According to the Israeli military, roughly 800,000 individuals have heeded evacuation orders to move from the northern region of Gaza to the south.
Nonetheless, tens of thousands remain in and around Gaza City, and Palestinian civilian casualties are expected to mount as the attacks persist in densely populated residential neighborhoods.
The military announced that they had targeted around 300 objectives in the past 24 hours and engaged in several battles with Hamas members armed with anti-tank missiles and machine guns.
Hamas' military wing reported firing mortar rounds at Israeli forces near a closed border crossing between Israel and southern Gaza, although the reports are difficult to verify independently.
During a late Monday news conference, Prime Minister Netanyahu firmly rejected calls for a cease-fire, emphasizing that such calls amounted to asking Israel to surrender to Hamas.
He characterized the conflict as long and challenging and reiterated that he had no intentions of resigning despite mounting pressure from his camp.
Amid this ongoing conflict, Gaza's humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate, with essential supplies such as food, medicine, and water dwindling due to the nearly complete Israeli blockade.
The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, disclosed that almost 672,000 Palestinians are now seeking shelter in its schools and other facilities, which are operating at four times their intended capacity.
This crisis was further exacerbated when thousands of people forcibly entered UNRWA's aid warehouses over the weekend to access food, signifying growing civil unrest.
UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini accused Israel of imposing "collective punishment" on the Palestinians and forcing their displacement from northern Gaza to the still-unsafe southern region.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported a staggering death toll among Palestinians, surpassing 8,500, primarily women and children.
This figure is unprecedented in decades of Israeli-Palestinian conflicts.
Over 1.4 million people in Gaza have fled their homes.
The World Health Organization reported damage to two hospitals and the destruction of an ambulance in Gaza over the last two days.
One strike near the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City sent debris and dust pouring into the facility, already filled with patients and thousands of displaced individuals.
It was noted that all 13 hospitals in the north have received Israeli evacuation orders in recent days, which medics have vehemently refused, deeming it a potential death sentence for patients on life support.
While Israel has permitted more than 150 trucks loaded with food and medicine to enter Gaza from Egypt in recent days, aid workers assert that it is insufficient to meet the rapidly growing humanitarian needs.
The Israeli government emphasized that all deliveries are thoroughly inspected by Israeli forces, with a warning that if they are found to be used by Hamas, they will be halted.
Israel has stated that it has restored two primary water lines in Gaza, but the U.N. Office for Humanitarian Affairs has indicated that one of them ceased functioning after just two weeks, while the other requires repairs.