Gaza Conflict Escalates: Israel Expands Occupation, Global Appeals for Peace

The war in Gaza entered its 1,000th day, prompting a series of awareness events in Italy, including a July 3 gathering in Rovereto and a July 1 night of testimony, poetry and music in Pesaro. Organized by peace groups and cultural associations, the events highlighted the humanitarian disaster described by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who said Gaza’s cities are “razed to the ground” and children are “attacked by rats” amid collapsed sanitation, destroyed schools and severe shortages of food and medical supplies.

Israel’s military campaign has intensified, with bulldozers and artillery expanding what officials call a “buffer zone.” The Israeli government aims to control up to 70 % of the Strip and plans new settlement blocks in the north. Recent operations in Gaza City, Rafah and Khan Younis have killed more than 1,050 civilians, including a child and a 32‑year‑old goalkeeper. In parallel, Israeli forces conducted air raids in southern Lebanon, killing a senior Hamas commander, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited troops at the front.

Diplomatic activity rose as U.S. envoys arrived in Doha to revive negotiations and seek de‑escalation, amid rising global oil prices driven by fears of supply interruptions. International organizations and European states issued statements condemning the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.