Israel Presses On with Strikes in Gaza after World Court Ruling
Editor
25 May 2024 23:10 WIB
Fighting in Gaza
The Israeli military said it had carried out "operational activity in specific areas of Rafah" on Friday, including killing militants, dismantling part of Hamas' tunnel system, and locating stashes of weapons.
Further north in the coastal territory, where the Israeli military says it is trying to prevent Hamas from reestablishing its hold, Palestinian medical workers reported Israeli airstrikes that they said killed at least 17 people.
A total of 31 Palestinians were killed in the past day in the Gaza Strip, according to local medical officials. They do not distinguish between civilian and militant casualties.
Hamas, which governs Gaza, and the smaller armed group Islamic Jihad said their fighters had fired anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs at Israeli troops in the north.
Residents and civil emergency services said Israeli tanks entered deep into the area of Jabalia, destroying dozens of houses, shops, and roads.
The Israeli military said its troops in Jabalia "eliminated dozens of terrorists in close-quarters combat and aerial strikes."
Palestinian medical teams were unable to reach the area, where they believed more people were killed.
Israel has said it is carrying out operations in Rafah, despite growing international opposition, to remove Hamas battalions holed up there. Some of its hostages are also being held there, it says.
The city had become a refuge for Gazans fleeing fighting elsewhere in the enclave. After Rafah became a target as well, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled the city.
"The occupation forces keep the city under bombing, not only east where they invaded but at the center and the western sides, they want to scare people to leave the whole city," said one Rafah resident, who asked not to be named.
So far, fighting has taken place on Rafah's southern edge and eastern districts, away from the most populated areas. The United States has called on Israel not to enter more central neighborhoods, saying Israel has yet to show a credible plan for how this can be done without causing mass casualties.
REUTERS
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