On March 19, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that over the past 24 hours, they had launched a targeted ground operation in central and southern Gaza to expand the security zone and create a partial buffer between the north and south of the Strip. According to Palestinian health authorities, since March 18, Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip have caused more than 1,000 casualties. CGTN stringer captured exclusive footage of Gazans bidding farewell to their loved ones at a local hospital in the aftermath of the strikes.