An Israeli strike aimed at Hamas militants hit a densely populated neighbourhood in the GazaStrip, leaving a massive crater and widespread damage. The Gaza health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas, said the Israeli strikes killed and wounded “hundreds” of people in the Jabaliya neighbourhood, a statement that could not be immediately verified. The director of a nearby hospital said the facility was receiving hundreds of injured and that dozens were dead.
Israel‘s military said in a statement that its fighter jets, in a “wide-scale” attack, had struck Hamas militants, including a commander who helped plan the October 7 massacre that left 1,400 people dead, mostly civilians. “His elimination was carried out as part of a wide-scale strike on terrorists and terror infrastructure belonging to the Central Jabaliya Battalion, which had taken control over civilian buildings in Gaza City,” the military said.
It reiterated a warning for people in Gaza to evacuate south, a call that came as Israeli ground troops and tanks pushed deeper into the Gaza Strip and were edging closer to the territory’s main city. . Humanitarian officials have warned that Palestinian civilians face a growing catastrophe. Gaza authorities say that 8,525 people, including 3,542 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7.
Israel said its forces fought Hamas gunmen inside the militants’ vast tunnel network beneath the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza, seeking to free hostages and to push forward its campaign to wipe out the militant group. The tunnels under the cramped enclave are a prime objective for Israel as it expands a four-day-old ground offensive – after three weeks of aerial bombardment – into Gaza from the north to hit Hamas in retaliation for the Islamist group’s deadly surprise attack into southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Some of the 240 hostages that Israel says were seized by Hamas that day are believed to be held in the tunnel complex, adding a further complication for the Israelis on top of the difficulties of fighting in an urban setting. “Over the last day, combined IDF (Israel Defence Forces) struck approximately 300 targets, including anti-tank missile and rocket launch posts below shafts, as well as military compounds inside underground tunnels belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation,” an Israeli military statement said.
Militants responded with anti-tank missiles and gun fire, it said. A number of militants were killed, it said, without specifying a number. Israeli forces also bombed the narrow coastal enclave overnight in air, sea, ground attacks, hitting northwestern areas. On Monday, Israeli forces targeted Gaza’s main north-south road and attacked Gaza City, its northern hub, from two directions.
Hamas said in a statement its fighters were engaging in fierce battles with Israeli ground forces, “who were taking losses”. Later, Hamas’s armed wing said it would release in the coming days some of the foreign hostages in its captivity. Five hostages have been released to date, including four after negotiations through a diplomatic backchannel and one following an operation by Israel.
Israel‘s military said in a statement that its fighter jets, in a “wide-scale” attack, had struck Hamas militants, including a commander who helped plan the October 7 massacre that left 1,400 people dead, mostly civilians. “His elimination was carried out as part of a wide-scale strike on terrorists and terror infrastructure belonging to the Central Jabaliya Battalion, which had taken control over civilian buildings in Gaza City,” the military said.
It reiterated a warning for people in Gaza to evacuate south, a call that came as Israeli ground troops and tanks pushed deeper into the Gaza Strip and were edging closer to the territory’s main city. . Humanitarian officials have warned that Palestinian civilians face a growing catastrophe. Gaza authorities say that 8,525 people, including 3,542 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7.
Israel said its forces fought Hamas gunmen inside the militants’ vast tunnel network beneath the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza, seeking to free hostages and to push forward its campaign to wipe out the militant group. The tunnels under the cramped enclave are a prime objective for Israel as it expands a four-day-old ground offensive – after three weeks of aerial bombardment – into Gaza from the north to hit Hamas in retaliation for the Islamist group’s deadly surprise attack into southern Israel on Oct. 7.
Some of the 240 hostages that Israel says were seized by Hamas that day are believed to be held in the tunnel complex, adding a further complication for the Israelis on top of the difficulties of fighting in an urban setting. “Over the last day, combined IDF (Israel Defence Forces) struck approximately 300 targets, including anti-tank missile and rocket launch posts below shafts, as well as military compounds inside underground tunnels belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation,” an Israeli military statement said.
Militants responded with anti-tank missiles and gun fire, it said. A number of militants were killed, it said, without specifying a number. Israeli forces also bombed the narrow coastal enclave overnight in air, sea, ground attacks, hitting northwestern areas. On Monday, Israeli forces targeted Gaza’s main north-south road and attacked Gaza City, its northern hub, from two directions.
Hamas said in a statement its fighters were engaging in fierce battles with Israeli ground forces, “who were taking losses”. Later, Hamas’s armed wing said it would release in the coming days some of the foreign hostages in its captivity. Five hostages have been released to date, including four after negotiations through a diplomatic backchannel and one following an operation by Israel.
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