CAIRO: Israeli troops pounded many places across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 30 Palestinians, according to health authorities, as tanks advanced deeper into western and northern Rafah.
Among those killed on Saturday were local blogger Mohammad Abu Jasser, his family, and two children, in an Israeli attack on their home in the north Gaza Strip, a nurse said.
According to the Hamas-run state media company in Gaza, Abu Jasser’s death increased the number of Arab journalists killed by Israeli fireplace since October 7 to 161.
37 Palestinians were killed by Israeli military hits across Gaza in the past 24 hours and some homes were destroyed by Israeli military strikes. In Al-Nuseirat station in northern Gaza Strip, an air strike on a multi-floor tower, wounded many people, including two regional journalists, liberate workers said.
People of Rafah claimed vehicles advanced further into northern areas of the city and took command of a hill in the west, amid fierce gun fights with Hamas-led soldiers, where Israel claimed it aimed to destroy the last troops of Hamas ‘ military aircraft.
According to the army, troops continued carrying out Rafah operations, killing numerous gunmen in Tel Al-Sultan’s western suburb over the past day. In Central Gaza, the military said it conducted raids on militants ‘ infrastructure.
The military also claimed that it struck a structure used by Palestinian militants in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, claimed that gunmen were operating from a humanitarian area, and that Gaza militants had allegedly abused civilians for military purposes, a claim that Hamas and other organizations refute as false as they claim to support such attacks.
Due to conflict between the combatants, who accuse one another of being responsible for the impasse, a ceasefire effort led by Qatar and Egypt and supported by the United States has so far failed.
Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas after its fighters killed 1, 200 people and took more than 250 hostage in an Oct. 7 attack, according to Israeli tallies. At least 38, 919 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory offensive since then, Gaza health authorities say.
Israel claimed on Tuesday that it had killed or taken control of about 14, 000 fighters since the start of the conflict and that it had eliminated the majority of Hamas ‘ military wing leadership.
Israel claims that 326 of its soldiers have died in Gaza.
Hamas claimed Israel’s claims to be “faking victory” are false, and that Hamas does not release casualty statistics.
