Israeli forces battled Palestinian fighters in the north and center of the Gaza Strip on Friday, while Khaled Meshaal, a senior official in the Gaza-ruling Hamas movement, said the six-month battle against Israel will “ruin the enemy soon.”
Most Israeli troops have been withdrawn from Gaza in preparation for an assault on the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians are sheltering, but fighting has continued in several areas.
Residents of the Al-Nusseirat camp in central Gaza said dozens of people were killed or injured following Israeli air, land and sea bombardment that followed a surprise ground offensive on Thursday (11), and that houses and two mosques had been destroyed.
Health officials said earlier that six people had been killed in attacks on the camp and around 70 were injured, including three Palestinian journalists.
In Gaza City, Palestinian health authorities said at least 25 people were killed and several injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Al-Daraj neighborhood. The Gaza Health Ministry said 89 Palestinians were killed by Israeli military strikes in a 24-hour period.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was carrying out “a precise intelligence-based operation” against fighters and their infrastructure in central Gaza.
“Over the past day, IDF fighter jets have struck more than 60 terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip, including underground launch sites, military infrastructure and locations where armed terrorists operate,” a military statement said. “In parallel, IDF artillery struck terrorist infrastructure in the central Gaza Strip.”
Meshaal spoke at an event in Doha, Qatar, to mourn Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh's family members killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza on Wednesday (10).
“This is not the final round,” he said. “It is an important round on the path to the liberation of Palestine and the defeat of the Zionist project.”
At least 33,545 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the Israeli offensive, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, with most of the 2.3 million inhabitants displaced and much of the enclave destroyed.
The war began when Hamas led an attack on southern Israel on October 7, in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 were taken hostage. Around 130 are still being held incommunicado in Gaza, according to Israel.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
