Gaza Assault Deepens Crisis; Toll Up to 72

Intense Israeli air and ground strikes around Gaza City killed dozens across the Gaza Strip, with reported casualty counts ranging from at least 38 to as many as 72 and many more wounded and displaced. Strikes hit homes, refugee camps (including Nuseirat and Al-Shati), tents for the displaced and other civilian infrastructure, leaving families dead and hospitals overwhelmed. Medical facilities and aid operations are collapsing: Doctors Without Borders suspended services after clinics were encircled, several hospitals and community kitchens have shut, and U.N. agencies warn children face catastrophic harm amid restricted or stalled aid deliveries. Despite growing international pressure and mass walkouts at the U.N., Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to “finish the job,” while the Israeli military said it struck roughly 120 targets and released drone footage of suspected operatives. Israeli authorities are probing thousands of suspected Iranian-linked recruitment-style phone calls, and U.S. officials said talks to ease the fighting and recover hostages were ongoing. Officials expect the Gaza City offensive to add roughly 25 billion shekels (about $7.5 billion) to the war bill and further widen Israel’s wartime deficit.