(NewsNation) — The Israeli military is gearing up to expand their attack against Hamas militants as fighting intensifies two weeks after the initial attacks.
Meanwhile, conditions in Gaza are deteriorating as tens of thousands of Palestinians try to flee south. Israel is now telling residents to leave ahead of the next phase of attacks.
Images from Gaza show residents crammed into cars, taxis and pickup trucks, while some have been seen on donkey-pulled carts. Others can be seen walking, carrying mattresses and backpacks as they try to reach safety.
But an Israeli blockade has cut Gazans off from critical resources, making it nearly impossible for people to get out, or for humanitarian aid to get in.
Palestinians who can’t get out are struggling to find food, water and safety ahead of an expected Israeli ground war.
The conditions are so dangerous that medics are now warning thousands more could die as packed hospitals run desperately low on fuel and basic supplies.
In Tel Aviv, one of the country’s main trauma centers has moved its operations underground for the first time in history.
“We happen to be on the very top floor of the building we are in and therefore we are absolutely vulnerable to anything that could come down from the sky,” said Jacob Ablin, head of internal medicine at Tel Avivi’s Ichilov Hospital.
As the violence intensifies, so do diplomatic efforts to address the crisis.
Egypt is facing pressure to open its borders to allow refugees from the war in while top U.S. officials travel across the globe to evaluate the situation.
“There’s a determination in every country I went to, to make sure that this conflict doesn’t spread,” said U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. “They are using their own influence, their own relationships, to try to make sure that this doesn’t happen.”
Meanwhile, the U.S. continues to show strong support for Israel, with the Pentagon deploying the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower to the Mediterranean. This aircraft will join the USS Gerald R. Ford strike group that arrived in the region last week, positioning themselves along Gaza’s border.