Israeli Airstrikes Kill 30 in Gaza; Annexation Plans Emerge

Israeli airstrikes and gunfire have resulted in at least 30 fatalities in and around Gaza City, according to local health authorities. This surge in violence comes as reports indicate that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government is considering the annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank in response to several countries, including France, recognizing a Palestinian state.

The casualties recorded over the weekend include 13 individuals who died while attempting to obtain food near a distribution site in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, two people lost their lives in a residential house in Gaza City, while 15 others, including five children, were killed in a strike on a residential building on Saturday. Residents from the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood reported relentless tank shelling and airstrikes throughout Saturday and into Sunday morning, which forced many families to flee their homes.

Witnesses recounted that Israeli troops opened fire on crowds attempting to secure food in the Netzarim corridor, a military zone in Gaza. “We were trying to get food but were met with the occupation’s bullets,” said Ragheb Abu Lebda, a resident of Nuseirat. Another resident, Rezik Salah, described the situation in Sheikh Radwan, stating that Israeli troops are “crawling into the heart of the city … from the east, north and south, while bombing those areas from the air and ground to scare people to leave.”

On Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz confirmed that Abu Ubaida, the spokesperson for the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, was killed in a joint operation with the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service in Gaza. While there was no immediate comment from Hamas regarding this operation, the group did confirm the death of Mohammed Sinwar, its presumed leader in Gaza, more than three months after Israel reported identifying his body in a tunnel in central Gaza.

In Jerusalem, Israeli officials stated that Netanyahu’s security cabinet convened on Sunday to discuss the next steps in the planned offensive to seize Gaza City. A full-scale offensive, however, is not expected to commence for several weeks. Israel has indicated its intention to facilitate the evacuation of the civilian population before deploying additional ground forces.

Humanitarian concerns are escalating, with Mirjana Spoljaric of the Red Cross warning that such a military move could lead to a massive population displacement that the rest of Gaza would struggle to accommodate. Local sources estimate that about half of Gaza’s more than two million residents are currently sheltering in Gaza City, although many are reportedly trying to flee to central and southern areas of the territory.

Public sentiment in Israel is also complex. Large crowds demonstrated in Tel Aviv against the ongoing conflict on Saturday night. On Sunday morning, families of hostages still held by Hamas protested outside the homes of Israeli cabinet ministers.

Amid the escalating situation, there are reports that Israel is contemplating annexing portions of the West Bank as a potential reaction to the international community’s recognition of a Palestinian state. This de facto annexation of land captured during the 1967 Middle East war was discussed during the security cabinet meeting on Sunday, which is expected to focus on the Gaza conflict.

The specifics of any annexation remain unclear, including which areas or settlements would be affected and whether concrete steps would follow these discussions. Such actions are anticipated to provoke widespread condemnation from Palestinians, who view the territory as essential for their future state, as well as from various Arab and Western nations.

Netanyahu’s previous pledge to annex Jewish settlements and the Jordan Valley was set aside in 2020 in favor of establishing normalized relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, a move facilitated by former U.S. President Donald Trump during his administration. Israel is currently facing increasing international criticism over its military operations in Gaza and is particularly incensed by the commitments made by France, Britain, Australia, and Canada to formally recognize a Palestinian state during a summit at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

In 2024, the United Nations’ highest court stated that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, including the West Bank, is illegal and should be terminated as soon as possible. While Israel argues that these territories are not occupied in legal terms due to their disputed status, the United Nations and the majority of the international community regard them as occupied territory.