Israeli forces pushed forward into the Shejaia neighborhood in northern Gaza and into western and central Rafah in the south. As a result, at least six Palestinians were killed, and numerous homes were destroyed on Sunday.
Israeli tanks returned to Shejaia four days prior and opened fire on multiple houses. As a result, families were stranded inside their homes and unable to escape, according to the locals.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Sunday at the weekly cabinet meeting. He restated his belief that defeating the Islamist militant organization Hamas is the only option.
“We are committed to fighting until we achieve all of our objectives: Eliminating Hamas, returning all of our hostages, ensuring that Gaza never again constitutes a threat to Israel and returning our residents securely to their homes in the south and the north,” he stated.
The offensive concentrated on Gaza. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that an Israeli strike near Tulkarm in the Israeli-occupied West Bank resulted in one man’s death and five injuries. The Islamic Jihad extremist group alleged that the deceased man belonged to them. The Israeli army remained silent.
In a defiant move, the military wing of Hamas published a video allegedly showing the production of weapons hours after Netanyahu’s remarks over Gaza.
The footage, which Reuters did not immediately confirm, appeared to show fighters getting ready to fire anti-tank rocket warheads. The fact that a big TV screen was playing current news events in the background suggested that the footage was recent.
At the conclusion of the short film, writing stated, “We’re still getting ready.”
The Israeli military reported that forces operating in Shejaia had killed six Palestinian gunmen during the previous day. Additionally, they discovered military equipment, dozens of weapons, and “valuable intelligence documents” inside a United Nations school.
The military declared on Saturday that two Israeli soldiers had died in northern Gaza.
The military claimed that during a second assault in Shejaia, they found a “terrorist war room” at a clinic. They added that Hamas was once again “embedding itself in civilian structures for terror purposes.”
Hamas disputes that it has ever used hospitals or schools for military objectives.
The Islamic Jihad ally and the armed wing of Hamas reported heavy battles in Shejaia and Rafah. They claimed their men fired mortar bombs and anti-tank rockets against Israeli forces stationed there.
Terrorists are still attacking Israeli forces nearly eight months into Israel’s air and ground campaign in Gaza. They are operating in places that the Israeli army claims it has taken control of for months.
STALLED CEASEFIRE EFFORTS
The US-backed efforts of Arab mediators have come to a standstill. According to Hamas, a solution must bring an end to the conflict and result in an Israeli departure from Gaza. Israel claims that until Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007, is destroyed, it will only accept brief cessations in hostilities.
According to Israeli estimates, the conflict started on October 7. Terrorists led by Hamas surged into southern Israel, killing almost 1,200 people and taking over 250 captives.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel’s military attack has killed about 38,000 Palestinians so far and destroyed the densely populated coastal territory.
Although officials claim that the majority of the casualties were civilians, the ministry does not make a distinction between combatants and non-combatants. Israel claims that at least one-third of the Palestinian deaths in Gaza are fighters, accounting for over 300 Israeli soldier casualties.
On Sunday, Israeli tanks advanced farther into a number of areas in the east, west, and center of Rafah, close to the Egyptian border. According to medical personnel, an Israeli strike on a home in the city’s Shaboura neighborhood claimed the lives of six people.
Numerous family members attended the six Zurub family members’ funerals at Nasser Hospital in the neighboring city of Khan Younis.
One of the most well-known mosques in the city, the Al-Awda mosque in the center of Rafah, was set on fire, according to locals.
According to Israel, the goal of its military operations in Rafah is to destroy Hamas’ last armed battalions.
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