Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed at least 85 Palestinians, AP reports quoting local health officials.
The strikes occurred between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, escalating the conflict in the area, following the failure of ceasefire negotiations.
In response, Hamas launched three rockets toward Israel, with one intercepted and the others landing in open areas. No casualties were reported, the Israeli military revealed.
Confirming the attacks, Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam brigades claimed responsibility, saying it targeted Tel Aviv with M90 rockets, in response to “the Zionist massacres against civilians”.
This marks the first such attack by Hamas since the ceasefire was broken.
On Tuesday, Israel launched a massive strike on Gaza, killing more than 400 Palestinians, including women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Israel reinstated a blockade on northern Gaza, including Gaza City, restricting movement and warning residents against using the main highway.
Israeli Troops also launched a new ground operation in Beit Lahiya, an area already devastated by previous fighting.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had returned to northern Gaza after a ceasefire took effect in January, but the renewed conflict has shattered hopes of stability.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the latest wave of airstrikes is just the beginning of intensified military action.
The Israeli military reportedly struck dozens of militant targets, including fighters and military infrastructure.
One of the deadliest attacks early Thursday hit a home in Abasan al-Kabira, near Khan Younis. The strike killed at least 16 people, including a father and his seven children, leaving a one-month-old baby as the only surviving member of the immediate family.
For the first time since January, Israeli ground forces advanced into Gaza on Wednesday, seizing control of part of the Netzarim corridor, which divides the northern and southern regions of the territory. Israel has also cut off humanitarian aid, food, and fuel to Gaza’s population of approximately 2 million persons.
The Israeli government says it intends to pressure Hamas into releasing 59 hostages, 35 of whom are believed to be dead.
Hamas however, insists it will only free the remaining hostages if Israel agrees to a lasting ceasefire and a full withdrawal from Gaza as stated in the terms of the previous truce brokered by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched an attack on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
Since then, Israeli retaliatory strikes have killed nearly 49,000 Palestinians, with more than half being women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The war has displaced 90% of Gaza’s population and caused widespread destruction. While many civilians returned during the ceasefire, they found their homes reduced to rubble. However, the renewed fighting further escalates the already existing humanitarian crisis in the region.
85 Palestinians Killed In Fresh Israeli Airstrikes is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
Source: The Whistler
