Israel escalates aggression against Gazans

 Israel has increased its strikes on the Gaza Strip, with Palestinian poet Refaat Alareer killed in an air raid. The health ministry reported a death toll of 17,487, with thousands more missing and presumed buried under rubble. The most intense fighting with Israeli forces occurred in the north in Shejaia and the south in Khan Yunis. More strikes were reported in Khan Yunis, the Nusseirat camp, and Gaza City. Local residents reported intensified Israeli tank fire on the Gaza City districts of Shejaia, Nafaq, Sabra, and Jala. Health officials said five Palestinians were killed in an air strike on a house in Khan Yunis. Israel's military has stated that 94 Israeli soldiers have been killed since October 7. Alareer, a professor of English literature at the Islamic University of Gaza, was one of the co-founders of the "We are not numbers" project, which pairs authors from Gaza with mentors abroad to help them write stories in English about their experiences.