Dozens of Israeli tanks rolled into southern Gaza on Monday, witnesses stated, regardless of world concern over mounting civilian deaths and fears the warfare on Hamas will unfold elsewhere within the Center East.
Weeks after Israel despatched floor forces into northern Gaza, the military has been air-dropping leaflets in components of the besieged territory’s south, telling Palestinians to flee to different areas.
Tanks, armoured personnel carriers and bulldozers had been seen Monday close to the town of Khan Yunis, which is crowded with internally displaced Palestinians, witnesses advised AFP.
Amin Abu Hawli, 59, stated the Israeli autos had been two kilometres (1.2 miles) inside Gaza within the village of al-Qarara, whereas Moaz Mohammed, 34, stated Israeli tanks had been shifting down the strip’s major north-south freeway, the Salah al-Din street.
The navy was making an attempt to chop the street between Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and Khan Yunis, “firing bullets and tank shells at vehicles and folks making an attempt to maneuver via the world,” Mohammed stated.
Israeli Protection Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari stated Sunday that the military “continues to increase its floor operation in opposition to major Hamas fronts within the Gaza Strip”.
“Wherever there’s a Hamas stronghold, the IDF operates,” he added.
Full-scale combating resumed Friday after the collapse of a week-long truce brokered by Qatar, the US and Egypt, throughout which Israel and Hamas had exchanged scores of hostages and prisoners.
Air strikes have since intensified in Gaza’s south, stated James Elder, a spokesman for the United Nations youngsters’s company UNICEF.
“Regardless of what has been assured, assaults within the south of Gaza are each bit as vicious as what the north endured,” he posted Monday on X, previously Twitter.
“In some way, it’s getting worse for youngsters and moms.”
– Trapped underneath rubble –
Sheltering on the Al-Aqsa hospital, Walaa Abu Libda stated her four-year-old daughter was trapped underneath rubble.
“I don’t know if she useless or alive,” she stated, one among an estimated 1.8 million folks displaced in Gaza — roughly three-quarters of the inhabitants.
Israel has vowed to crush Hamas in retaliation for the Islamist militant group’s October 7 assaults that killed about 1,200 folks, largely civilians, and noticed 240 hostages taken, in keeping with Israeli authorities.
Israel’s navy stated Sunday it had carried out round 10,000 air strikes in complete, whereas Gaza militants had resumed rocket salvos into Israel, most of which had been intercepted.
The Hamas-run well being ministry says greater than 15,500 folks have been killed in Gaza, about 70 % of them girls and kids — a demise toll that has sparked world alarm and mass demonstrations.
The Israeli military stated Monday three extra troopers had been killed in combating within the northern Gaza Strip, elevating the variety of troop deaths there to 75.
The fatalities dropped at 401 the variety of Israeli defence personnel killed since October 7, amongst them these killed within the Hamas assaults themselves and together with troopers, reservists, kibbutz guards and others.
Below the non permanent truce that expired Friday, 80 Israeli hostages had been freed, in alternate for the discharge of 240 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Greater than two dozen Thai and different captives had been additionally launched from Gaza.
With not less than 137 hostages nonetheless held in Gaza, in keeping with the Israeli navy, Hamas has dominated out extra releases till a everlasting ceasefire is agreed.
