Israeli floor forces transfer into south of Gaza

Israel has moved floor forces into the south of Gaza in its conflict on Hamas, witnesses mentioned on December 4, regardless of world concern over mounting civilian deaths and fears the battle will unfold elsewhere within the Middle East.

Dozens of Israeli tanks in addition to armoured personnel carriers and bulldozers entered the south of the territory close to town of Khan Yunis, which is crowded with internally displaced Palestinians, witnesses instructed AFP.

Amin Abu Hawli, 59, mentioned the Israeli automobiles have been « two kilometres (1.2 miles) inside » Gaza within the village of al-Qarara, whereas Moaz Mohammed, 34, mentioned Israeli tanks have been rolling down the strip’s essential north-south freeway, the Salah al-Din street.

Weeks after Israel despatched floor forces and tanks into northern Gaza, the military has been air-dropping leaflets within the besieged territory’s south, particularly round Khan Yunis, telling Palestinians there to flee to different areas.

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The Army « continues to expand its ground operation against main Hamas fronts in the Gaza Strip, » Israeli Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari mentioned Sunday. « Wherever there is a Hamas stronghold, the IDF operates. »

Full-scale fighting resumed Friday after the collapse of a week-long truce brokered by Qatar, the United States and Egypt, throughout which Israel and Hamas had exchanged scores of hostages and prisoners.

Air strikes have since intensified in Gaza’s south, mentioned James Elder, a spokesman for the United Nations kids’s company UNICEF.

« Despite what has been assured, attacks in the south of Gaza are every bit as vicious as what the north endured, » he posted Monday on X, previously Twitter.

« Somehow, it’s getting worse for children and mothers. »

Israel has vowed to crush Hamas in retaliation for the Islamist militant group‘s October 7 assaults that killed about 1,200 folks, largely civilians, and noticed 240 hostages taken, in accordance with Israeli authorities.

Israel’s navy mentioned Sunday it had carried out round 10,000 air strikes in whole, whereas Gaza militants had resumed rocket salvos into Israel, most of which had been intercepted.

The Gaza Health Ministry says greater than 15,500 folks have been killed in Gaza, about 70% of them girls and kids — a loss of life toll that has sparked world alarm and mass demonstrations.

– ‘No protected place’ –

« There is no safe place in Gaza, » UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk mentioned as a UN company estimated round 1.8 million folks in Gaza, roughly 75 % of the inhabitants, had been displaced.

The Israeli military mentioned Monday three extra troopers had been killed in combating within the northern Gaza Strip, elevating the variety of troop deaths there to 75.

The fatalities introduced the variety of Israeli defence personnel killed since October 7 — amongst them these killed within the Hamas assaults themselves and together with troopers, reservists, kibbutz guards and others — to 401.

Under the momentary truce that expired Friday, 80 Israeli hostages have been freed, in trade for the discharge of 240 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. More than two dozen Thai and different captives have been additionally launched from Gaza.

With no less than 137 hostages nonetheless held in Gaza, in accordance with the Israeli navy, Hamas has dominated out extra releases till a everlasting ceasefire is agreed.

More air strikes have rained down on northern Gaza the place the Hamas-run authorities and the official Palestinian news company Wafa mentioned the doorway of the Kamal Adwan hospital was hit late Sunday.

Several folks have been killed within the strike, Wafa mentioned, whereas Hamas accused Israel on Telegram of a « grave violation » of humanitarian regulation. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli navy didn’t instantly remark.

Israel says Hamas makes use of hospitals and different civilian infrastructure for navy functions, an accusation the militant group denies.

Nine-year-old Huda, who was wounded within the head, arrived on the Deir al-Balah hospital with a Red Cross convoy bringing casualties from northern Gaza.

« She doesn’t answer me any more, » mentioned her bereaved father Abdelkarim Abu Warda.

– ‘Too many innocents killed’ –

Israel’s ally the United States has intensified requires the safety of Gaza’s civilians, with Vice President Kamala Harris saying that « too many innocent Palestinians have been killed ».

A White House official mentioned Sunday the United States believes Israel is « making an effort » to minimise civilian casualties in Gaza.

Israeli authorities spokesman Eylon Levy mentioned these killed « would still be alive » had Hamas not carried out the October 7 assaults.

Israel mentioned Monday it was not looking for to pressure Palestinian civilians to completely depart their houses, even because it acknowledged circumstances in Gaza have been « tough ».

Any suggestion of Palestinian dispersal is very contentious within the Arab world because the conflict that led to Israel’s creation 75 years in the past gave rise to the exodus or pressured displacement of 760,000 Palestinians.

Israeli navy spokesman Jonathan Conricus mentioned Monday: « We are not trying to displace anyone, we are not trying to move anybody from anywhere permanently.

« We have requested civilians to evacuate the battlefield and we’ve got supplied a chosen humanitarian zone contained in the Gaza Strip, » he said, referring to a tiny coastal area of the territory named Al-Mawasi.

With fears of a wider regional conflagration rising, a US destroyer shot down multiple drones over the Red Sea while assisting commercial ships on Sunday, according to the US Central Command.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels — who said they targeted two of the ships –— launched a series of drones and missiles towards Israel in recent weeks and seized a cargo vessel last month.

In Iraq, an air attack killed at least five pro-Iranian militants on Sunday, according to Iraqi security sources, a day after Baghdad warned Washington against « assaults » on its territory.

Fighting also flared on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon.

The Israeli army said it had launched artillery strikes in response to cross-border fire, and its fighter jets hit targets linked to Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The Israel-occupied West Bank has also seen a surge in violence since October.

The Palestinian Authority’s health ministry said two Palestinians had been shot dead in an Israeli raid on the northern West Bank town of Qalqilya, adding that Israeli forces kept the two bodies.