The Israeli occupation forces continued to target civilians in the Gaza Strip on the evening of Thursday, January 18, 2024, causing the death and injury of dozens, most of them women and children, while the United States considered that “the number of civilian deaths was very large” in the Strip.

Local sources told the Palestinian News Agency "Wafa" that at least two citizens were killed and others were injured in a bombing carried out by the Israeli occupation on a residential building west of Gaza City, while citizens transported the bodies of 4 killed to the European Hospital, who recovered after a bombing in Khan Yunis.

The sources also added that the occupation forces fired white phosphorus bombs on the Qaizan al-Najjar area, south of Khan Yunis, and carried out a bombing in the vicinity of the Martyr Abu Youssef al-Najjar Hospital, east of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, and targeted with a missile the Antar Tower on Old Gaza Street in the town of Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip.

While Israeli forces besieged several schools housing thousands of displaced people west of the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City, while the bombing of residential squares in the town of Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Yunis, continued.

Deteriorating conditions in the Gaza Strip

In addition, the Palestine Red Crescent Society warned of the deterioration of the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza and northern governorates, as a result of the continued Israeli aggression and siege, which prevent the delivery of aid.

The association said in a statement on Thursday that about 800,000 citizens suffer from food insecurity, a lack of clean water, and widespread destruction of infrastructure, in addition to a major scarcity of basic materials, including bread, vegetables, infant formula, medicines, and sanitary napkins, which has led to exacerbate the difficulties faced by citizens.

It also pointed out that citizens are resorting to grinding legumes to try to make bread due to the lack of flour, pointing out that they are suffering as the situation worsens in the winter from the extreme cold, and the scarcity of means of heating, blankets, and proper nutrition, especially after the severe damage to most of the homes and the shattering of their windows.

While the association appealed to the international community and international humanitarian institutions to intervene urgently and pressure the occupation authorities to allow the opening of a safe humanitarian corridor that guarantees the arrival of aid to the northern Gaza Strip, including medical supplies and fuel, the activation of relief programs, and the revival of the health system in the Gaza and northern governorates.

The White House comments on the number of victims

For its part, the White House said on Thursday that “the number of civilian deaths is very high” in the Gaza Strip, which has witnessed a large Israeli military operation since the Hamas attack in October.

National Security Council spokesman at the White House, John Kirby, stressed that the United States will not stop working towards achieving a two-state solution. “There will be a post-conflict Gaza that will not be reoccupied,” Kirby told reporters on Air Force One.

Earlier Thursday, the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced that the death toll from the Israeli bombing on the Gaza Strip had risen to 24,620 killed since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2024.

In this context, Matthew Miller, spokesman for the US State Department, said on Thursday that there is “no way” to solve the long-term security challenges facing Israel in the region and the short-term challenges of rebuilding Gaza except by establishing a Palestinian state.

Miller also stated during his speech at a press briefing that Israel has an opportunity at the present time, in light of the willingness of countries in the region to provide security guarantees to Israel.

The American official added, "But there is no way to solve their long-term security challenges to provide permanent security, and there is no way to solve the short-term challenges of rebuilding Gaza, establishing governance in Gaza, and providing security for Gaza except by establishing a Palestinian state."