Israel continued its bitter war against radical Islamist group Hamas this weekend with airstrikes and the advance of ground troops in the Gaza Strip. The armed forces continue to “eliminate terrorists in close combat” and attack Hamas positions from the air, the army said on Sunday.
Since Israel’s deployment of ground troops to the Gaza Strip began about 10 days ago, Israel says it has bombed more than 2,500 “terrorist targets” in the Palestinian territory. The army announced that a Hamas ‘military base’ was also hit on Sunday evening. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke of “heavy fighting” and troops had also invaded residential areas. Israeli Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi also visited troops in the Gaza Strip for the first time since the start of the war.
Israeli soldiers in urban warfare
Since the war against Hamas began four weeks ago, the army says it has attacked a total of around 12,000 targets in the Gaza Strip. Israel is currently intensifying its ground offensive and is already engaged in urban warfare in the north of the Gaza Strip, where the army says it has encircled the city of Gaza. Tanks and armored bulldozers moved in to reinforce the siege ring around the city, Israeli army images showed.
Hamas accused Israel of bombing another refugee camp. The Islamic organization-run Health Ministry in Gaza said at least 45 people were killed on Saturday evening in the bombing of the town of Al-Maghazi, officially a refugee camp, in the center of the coastal strip. Most are women and children. An Israeli military spokesman said it was checking whether the Israeli army had been deployed in the area at the time.
Israel: Shots from the hospital
The Islamist group Hamas had also previously accused the Israeli army of bombing a UN-run school in the Gaza Strip town of Jabalia, killing at least 15 people. Thousands of refugees were housed in Al-Fakhura school. Israel accuses Hamas of using schools, hospitals and other civilian buildings as shelters. On Sunday, the official account of the State of Israel on X posted a video claiming that terrorists are shooting at soldiers from a hospital (see below).
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, more than 9,770 people have been killed in the Palestinian territory since the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip began about a month ago, including 4,800 children. This information cannot be independently verified.
Not a ceasefire, but a temporary ceasefire
Israel has so far rejected all calls for a ceasefire, especially from Arab countries. However, it promised a temporary ceasefire in certain areas, including on Sunday, to allow civilians to escape from the north of the Gaza Strip to the south. According to US figures, there are still at least 350,000 civilians in the city of Gaza.
The stated goal of the Israeli military is to completely destroy Hamas and its positions, some of which are hidden underground in a tunnel system. Hundreds of fighters from the Palestinian Organization, which controls the Gaza Strip, attacked Israel on October 7, committing atrocities, mainly against civilians, including many women and children, in a number of cities and at a music festival.
Gaza has been under attack since October 7
According to Israel, the Hamas attack killed 1,400 people and took more than 240 hostage in the Gaza Strip. Israel subsequently declared war on Hamas, which is also classified as a terrorist organization in the US and EU, and continued to put the Gaza Strip under constant attack.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
