According to local health officials on Tuesday, Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 23 Palestinians, as the Israeli military expanded evacuation orders to tens of thousands of residents across the enclave.
The Israeli military restarted its operation against Hamas in Gaza a week ago, shattering a two-month ceasefire. Since then, approximately 700 people, largely women and children, have been slain, Palestinian health officials say.
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Gaza’s 2.3 million population has been displaced multiple times during the nearly 18 months of war and is facing worsening shortages of food and water after Israel suspended aid deliveries earlier this month.
On Tuesday, the Israeli army warned residents in all northern border towns to evacuate due to Palestinian rockets fired at Israel from the area. The affected towns include Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Shejaia in Gaza Cit.
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The military ordered residents in Jabalia, Gaza’s largest refugee camp, to move south to known shelters for their safety. Palestinian and UN officials claim there are no safe areas in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the renewed offensive aims to pressure Hamas to release the remaining 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be still alive.
According to Hamas sources, there has been no breakthrough in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking approximately 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry.