A large-scale Israeli operation in northern Gaza has killed dozens of people and threatens to shut down three hospitals over a year into the war with Hamas , Palestinian officials and residents said Wednesday.
The continuing cycle of destruction and death in Gaza, unleashed by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, comes as Israel expands a weeklong ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon and considers a major retaliatory strike on Iran following Iran's Oct. 1 missile barrage against Israel.
Against the backdrop of fighting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden held their first call in seven weeks Wednesday, Netanyahu's office said.
Israel has been discussing how to respond to the Iranian missile attack, which the United States helped fend off. Biden has said he would not support a retaliatory strike on sites related to Tehran's nuclear program.
In northern Gaza, there was heavy fighting in Jabaliya, where Israeli forces have carried out several major operations over the course of the war and then returned as militants regroup. The entire north, including Gaza City, has suffered heavy destruction and has been largely isolated by Israeli forces since late last year.
