By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Arafat Barbakh
CAIRO/GAZA (Reuters) – Fierce Israeli tank hearth and aerial bombing struck Khan Younis within the Gaza Strip on Friday evening, residents mentioned, after almost 200 individuals had been reported killed in 24 hours in Israel’s marketing campaign in opposition to Hamas militants.
The sound of taking pictures indicated combating between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters in Khan Younis, some residents mentioned. Planes additionally carried out a collection of air strikes on the Nuseirat camp within the central Gaza Strip, in accordance with medics and Palestinian journalists.
Israeli forces have been pounding Khan Younis in preparation for an anticipated additional advance into the primary southern metropolis, swathes of which they captured in early December.
Protection Minister Yoav Gallant mentioned troops had been reaching Hamas command centres and arms depots. The Israeli army additionally mentioned it had destroyed a tunnel advanced within the basement of one of many homes of the Hamas chief for Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, in Gaza Metropolis.
Twelve weeks after Hamas militants stormed Israeli cities, killing 1,200 individuals and seizing 240 hostages, Israeli forces have laid a lot of the Gaza Strip to waste because it pursues its struggle intention of eradicating the Islamist militants.
Practically all of Gaza’s 2.3 million individuals have fled their houses at the very least as soon as and plenty of are on the transfer once more, typically decreased to taking shelter in makeshift tents or huddled beneath tarpaulins and plastic sheets on open floor.
Gaza well being authorities mentioned 187 extra Palestinians had been confirmed killed in Israeli strikes in 24 hours, elevating the toll to 21,507 – about 1% of Gaza’s inhabitants. 1000’s extra our bodies are feared to be buried within the ruins of obliterated neighbourhoods.
PALESTINIAN JOURNALIST KILLED
A Palestinian journalist working for Al-Quds TV was killed together with quite a lot of his relations in an Israeli air strike on their home within the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza Strip, well being officers and fellow journalists mentioned.
It brings the toll of Palestinian journalists killed within the Israeli offensive to 106, in accordance with Gaza’s authorities media workplace.
The Committee to Shield Journalists (CPJ) mentioned final week that the primary 10 weeks of the Israel-Gaza struggle had been the deadliest recorded for journalists, with probably the most journalists killed in a single yr in a single location.
A lot of the journalists and media staff killed within the struggle had been Palestinian. The report by the U.S.-based CPJ mentioned it was “significantly involved about an obvious sample of focusing on of journalists and their households by the Israeli army.”
Earlier this month, a Reuters investigation discovered an Israeli tank crew killed a Reuters journalist, Issam Abdallah, and wounded six reporters in Lebanon on Oct. 13 by firing two shells in fast succession from Israel whereas the journalists had been filming cross-border shelling.
Israel has beforehand mentioned it has by no means and can by no means intentionally goal journalists and that it’s doing what it might to keep away from civilian casualties, however the excessive demise toll has precipitated concern even amongst its staunchest allies.
The U.S. has known as for it to scale down the struggle in coming weeks and transfer to focused operations in opposition to Hamas leaders. To date Israel reveals no signal of doing so.
ISRAEL HELPS DELIVER VACCINES TO GAZA
Israel on Friday mentioned it facilitated the entry of 49,130 vaccine doses, sufficient to inoculate nearly 1.4 million individuals in opposition to sicknesses together with polio, tuberculosis, hepatitis, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and meningitis.
The vaccine switch was coordinated with UNICEF, mentioned an announcement from COGAT – the defence ministry company that coordinates with the Palestinians – as a way to forestall the unfold of illness within the enclave.
Gaza is nearly completely reliant on meals, gasoline and medical provides from the surface, and Israel has restricted entry aside from on the southern finish. Worldwide companies say provides being let in by Israeli inspections are a small fraction of Gaza’s huge wants.
Final week Israel bowed to worldwide strain to open a second crossing it mentioned would double the variety of provide vehicles each day to 200, however simply 76 had been capable of enter on Thursday, in accordance with the United Nations, in comparison with 500 in peacetime.
An Israeli authorities spokesman mentioned on Friday it doesn’t restrict humanitarian assist and the issue was with its distribution inside Gaza.
(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo and Arafat Barbakh in Gaza; Writing by Daphne Psaledakis; modifying by Grant McCool)
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