Israeli forces closely bombed Rafah and different areas throughout the Gaza Strip and engaged in close-quarter fight with Hamas members, in accordance with residents and Israel’s army.
Residents reported that the Israelis gave the impression to be attempting to finish their seize of Rafah, town on the enclave’s southern edge that has been the main target of an Israeli assault since early May.
Tanks have been seen advancing into the western and northern elements of town after already seizing management of the east, south and middle.
Israeli forces carried out airstrikes from planes, tanks and ships off the coast, resulting in a brand new wave of displacement from town.
Rafah had been offering shelter to over one million displaced individuals, most of whom have now been pressured to flee once more.
The Israeli army mentioned on Friday its forces have been conducting “precise, intelligence-based” actions within the Rafah space, the place troops have been concerned in close-quarter fight and had situated tunnels allegedly utilized by Hamas members.
It additionally reported actions elsewhere within the enclave.
Some residents mentioned the tempo of the Israeli raid has accelerated prior to now two days.
They mentioned sounds of explosions and gunfire, indicating fierce combating, have been virtually continuous.
More than eight months into the struggle in Gaza, Israel’s advance is now targeted on the 2 final areas its forces had but to storm: Rafah on Gaza’s southern edge and the world surrounding Deir al-Balah within the middle.
“The entire city of Rafah is an area of Israeli military operations,” Ahmed Al-Sofi, the mayor of Rafah, mentioned in an announcement carried by Hamas media on Friday.
“The city lives through a humanitarian catastrophe and people are dying inside their tents because of Israeli bombardment,” he added.
Sofi mentioned there was no medical facility functioning within the metropolis, and that remaining residents and displaced households lacked the minimal of their each day wants of meals and water.
Palestinian and United Nations (U.N.) figures present that fewer than 100,000 individuals could have remained within the far western facet of town, which had been sheltering greater than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million individuals earlier than the Israeli assault started in early May.
The army accused Hamas of utilizing Palestinian civilians as human shields, an allegation Hamas denies.
“The soldiers are located inside a civilian residence with large quantities of weapons hidden in wardrobes, including grenades, explosives, a launcher and anti-tank missiles, ammunition and arms,” the army mentioned in an announcement late on Thursday.
Hamas’ armed wing, Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, mentioned on Thursday its members had hit two Israeli tanks with anti-tank rockets within the Shaboura camp in Rafah and killed troopers who tried to flee by way of the alleys.
There was no Israeli quick touch upon the Hamas declare.
In close by Khan Younis, an Israeli air strike on Friday killed three individuals, together with a father and son, medics mentioned.
In parallel, Israeli forces continued a brand new pushback into some Gaza City suburbs within the north of the enclave.
Residents mentioned the military forces had destroyed many houses within the coronary heart of Gaza City on Thursday.
Later on Friday, an Israeli air strike on a most important highway in Gaza City killed 4 Palestinians, medics mentioned.
Israel’s floor and air marketing campaign was triggered when Hamas stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing round 1,200 individuals and seizing greater than 250 hostages, in accordance with Israeli tallies.
The offensive has left Gaza in ruins, killed greater than 37,400 individuals, in accordance with Palestinian well being authorities, and left almost your entire inhabitants homeless and destitute.
Source: www.dailysabah.com