Israel intensifies its assault on southern Gaza, causing renewed concern about civilian deaths
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel pounded targets within the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, intensifying a renewed offensive that adopted a weeklong truce with Hamas and giving rise to renewed considerations about civilian casualties.
At least 200 Palestinians have been killed for the reason that fighting resumed Friday morning, in accordance with the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, even because the United States urged ally Israel to do every little thing potential to guard civilians.
“This goes to be essential going ahead,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated Friday after conferences with Arab international ministers in Dubai, wrapping up his third Middle East tour for the reason that warfare began. “It’s one thing we’re going to be taking a look at very intently.”
Many of Israel’s assaults Saturday had been centered on the Khan Younis space in southern Gaza, the place the army stated it had struck greater than 50 Hamas targets with airstrikes, tank fireplace and its navy.
The army dropped leaflets the day earlier than warning residents to depart however, as of late Friday, there had been no studies of huge numbers of individuals leaving, in accordance with the United Nations.
“There is no place to go,” lamented Emad Hajar, who fled together with his spouse and three youngsters from the northern city of Beit Lahia a month in the past to hunt refuge in Khan Younis.
“They expelled us from the north, and now they’re pushing us to depart the south.”
Israel’s army stated it additionally carried out strikes within the north, and hit greater than 400 targets in all throughout the Gaza Strip.
Some 2 million individuals — nearly Gaza’s whole inhabitants — are crammed into the territory’s south, the place Israel urged individuals to relocate on the warfare’s begin and has since vowed to extend its ground assault. Unable to enter north Gaza or neighboring Egypt, their solely escape is to maneuver round inside the 220-square-kilometer (85-square-mile) space.
In response to U.S. calls to guard civilians, the Israeli army launched a web based map, but it surely has completed extra to confuse than to assist.
It divides the Gaza Strip into lots of of numbered, haphazardly drawn parcels, typically throughout roads or blocks, and asks residents to study the variety of their location in case of an eventual evacuation.
“The publication does not specify where people should evacuate to,” the U.N. workplace for coordinating humanitarian points within the Palestinian territory famous in its day by day report. “It is unclear how those residing in Gaza would access the map without electricity and amid recurrent telecommunications cuts.”
Egypt has expressed considerations the renewed offensive might trigger Palestinians to try and cross into its territory. In an announcement late Friday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry stated the pressured switch of Palestinians “is a purple line.”
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, who was in Dubai on Saturday for the COP28 climate conference, was anticipated to stipulate proposals with regional leaders to “put Palestinian voices on the heart” of planning the subsequent steps for the Gaza Strip after the battle, in accordance with the White House. U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has been emphasizing the necessity for an eventual two-state resolution, with Israel and a Palestinian state coexisting.
The renewed hostilities have additionally heightened concerns for 136 hostages who, in accordance with the Israeli army, are nonetheless held captive by Hamas and different militants after 105 had been freed during the truce. For households of remaining hostages, the truce’s collapse was a blow to hopes their family members may very well be the subsequent out after days of seeing others freed. The Israeli military stated Friday it had confirmed the deaths of 4 extra hostages, bringing the overall recognized lifeless to seven.
During the truce, Israel freed 240 Palestinians from its prisons. Most of these launched from either side had been girls and youngsters.
The warfare started after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and different militants, who killed about 1,200 people, principally civilians, in southern Israel and took round 240 individuals captive.
After the top of the truce, militants in Gaza resumed firing rockets into Israel, and preventing broke out between Israel and Hezbollah militants working alongside its northern border with Lebanon.
HUMANITARIAN AID HALT
Hundreds of 1000’s of individuals fled northern Gaza to Khan Younis and different elements of the south earlier within the warfare, a part of a unprecedented mass exodus that has left three-quarters of the inhabitants displaced and going through widespread shortages of meals, water and different provides.
Since the resumption of hostilities, no assist convoys or gas deliveries have entered Gaza, and humanitarian operations inside Gaza have largely halted, in accordance with the U.N.
The International Rescue Committee, an assist group working in Gaza, warned the return of preventing will “wipe out even the minimal relief” supplied by the truce and “prove catastrophic for Palestinian civilians.”
Up till the truce started, more than 13,300 Palestinians were killed in Israel’s assault, roughly two-thirds of them girls and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants.
The toll is probably going a lot increased, as officers have solely sporadically up to date the depend since Nov. 11. The ministry says 1000’s extra individuals are feared lifeless underneath the rubble.
Israel says it’s focusing on Hamas operatives and blames civilian casualties on the militants, accusing them of working in residential neighborhoods. Israel says 77 of its troopers have been killed within the floor offensive in northern Gaza. It claims to have killed 1000’s of militants, with out offering proof.
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Magdy reported from Cairo, Rising from Bangkok.
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Full AP protection at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
