On Thursday, 17 June, Israeli missiles targeted several areas belonging to armed groups in the region northwest of Gaza City and Beit Lahia. Although no casualties were reported, the attacks also struck a civil administration building and an agricultural field. The strikes mark the recurrence of violence for the second time in the region, as both sides struggle to maintain the ceasefire. Reports of violence from Palestine have also emerged, as Hamas has fired machine guns and incendiary balloons targeting farmland near the shared border.
The ceasefire unsuccessfully aimed to end the most recent 11 days of fighting in which Al Jazeera reports that at least 257 Palestinians, including 66 children, were killed, while 13 Israelis died from Hamas’s counterattacks. In the most recent attacks after the ceasefire, the Israeli army has continued to show support for the destruction of Hamas’s military, ultimately in an attempt to force accountability for their actions.
On the same day of the attacks, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid to discuss challenges in Israel. Blinken only stated the need for the two sides to improve relations, while also emphasizing the United States’ support for Israel. The international community as a whole has worked to condemn attacks between the two sides, with international organizations like the United Nations leading the effort. However, the efforts of international organizations can only go so far if the two sides are unwilling to achieve peace among themselves.
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Author: Emily Herstine; Editor: Andrew Goodell
