KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Israeli airstrikes pounded areas throughout the Gaza Strip early Thursday, together with components of the south that Israel had declared protected zones, heightening fears amongst greater than 2 million Palestinians trapped within the territory that nowhere was protected.
Within the practically two weeks since Israel started attacking in response to a devastating Hamas rampage in cities throughout southern Israel, airstrikes have relentlessly hit the densely populated territory. Even after Israel advised Palestinians to evacuate the north and head to what it referred to as “protected zones” within the south, strikes continued throughout your entire territory.
The bombardments got here after Israel agreed Wednesday to permit Egypt to ship restricted humanitarian support to Gaza, the primary crack in a punishing 11-day siege. Many amongst Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have lower down to 1 meal a day and have been left to drink soiled water amid dwindling provides.
The announcement of a plan to carry water, meals and different provides into Gaza got here as fury over the blast at Gaza Metropolis’s al-Ahli Hospital unfold throughout the Center East, and as U.S. President Joe Biden visited Israel in hopes of stopping a wider battle within the area.
There have been conflicting claims of who was behind the lethal hospital explosion. Hamas officers in Gaza blamed an Israeli airstrike, saying a whole lot had been killed. Israel denied it was concerned and launched a flurry of video, audio and different data that it stated confirmed the blast was as a substitute because of a rocket misfire by Islamic Jihad, one other militant group working in Gaza. Islamic Jihad dismissed that declare.
The Related Press has not independently verified any of the claims or proof.
Video from the scene confirmed the hospital grounds strewn with torn our bodies, lots of them younger youngsters. Lots of of wounded had been rushed to Gaza Metropolis’s foremost hospital the place docs, already dealing with crucial provide shortages, had been generally compelled to carry out surgical procedure on the flooring, typically with out anesthesia.
Greater than 1 million Palestinians have fled their properties, roughly half of Gaza’s inhabitants. Many who fled Gaza Metropolis and different locations within the north after Israel advised them to evacuate, have crowded into U.N. colleges or the properties of family members.
Israeli strikes fell throughout Gaza in a single day, destroying properties in each north and south.
In southern Gaza, the place a whole lot of 1000’s are searching for shelter, the Hamas-led Inside Ministry reported relentless strikes on the town of Khan Younis, hitting a number of properties. Medical workers at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis stated they acquired a minimum of 12 {dead} and 40 wounded.
The Israeli navy stated it killed a prime Palestinian militant in Rafah, close to the Egyptian border, and hit a whole lot of targets throughout Gaza, together with tunnel shafts, intelligence infrastructure and command facilities. It stated it hit dozens of mortar launching posts, most of them instantly after they launched shells at Israel. Palestinians have been launching barrages of rockets at Israel because the preventing started.
Israel has stated it’s attacking Hamas militants wherever they might be in Gaza, and accused the group’s leaders and fighters of taking shelter among the many civilian inhabitants.
The strikes left Palestinians feeling they had been in fixed hazard.
The Musa household fled to the usually sleepy central city of Deir al-Balah and took shelter in a cousin’s three-story residence close to the native hospital. However at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, a sequence of explosions, believed to be airstrikes, rocked the constructing, turning the household residence right into a mountain of rubble that they stated buried some 20 ladies and kids.
The {dead} physique of Hiam Musa, the sister-in-law of Related Press photojournalist Adel Hana, was recovered from the wreckage Wednesday night, the household stated. They don’t know who else is beneath the rubble.
“It doesn’t make sense,” Hana stated. “We went to Deir al-Balah as a result of it’s quiet, we thought we’d be protected.”
The Israeli navy stated it was investigating.
In northern areas that Israel warned to evacuate, airstrikes additionally hit three residential towers in al-Zahra, the Inside Ministry in Gaza stated, in addition to properties alongside the border with Israel. Israel has massed troops within the space and is predicted to launch a floor invasion into Gaza, although navy officers say no determination has been made.
The Gaza Well being Ministry stated 3,478 folks have been killed in Gaza because the conflict started, and greater than 12,000 wounded, principally ladies, youngsters and the aged. One other 1,300 individuals are believed buried beneath the rubble, well being authorities stated.
Greater than 1,400 folks in Israel have been killed, principally civilians slain throughout Hamas’ lethal incursion on Oct. 7. Roughly 200 others had been kidnapped. The Israeli navy stated Thursday it had notified the households of 203 captives.
Violence between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon has additionally flared in current days amid fears the preventing may unfold throughout the area. Within the West Financial institution, the place scores of Palestinians have been killed because the conflict began, Israeli forces killed dozens of Palestinians previously two days, in accordance with the Palestinian Well being Ministry.
The deal to get support into Gaza remained fragile, as hospitals within the sealed territory say they’re on the breaking point.
Biden stated Egypt’s president agreed to open the Rafah crossing to let in an preliminary group of 20 vans with humanitarian support. If Hamas confiscates support, “it should finish,” he stated. The help will begin shifting Friday on the earliest, White Home officers stated.
Egypt should nonetheless restore the highway throughout the border, which was cratered by Israeli airstrikes. Greater than 200 vans and a few 3,000 tons of support are positioned at or close to the crossing, Gaza’s solely connection to Egypt, stated the top of the Pink Crescent for North Sinai, Khalid Zayed.
Provides will go in beneath supervision of the U.N., Egyptian Overseas Minister Sameh Shoukry advised Al-Arabiya TV. Requested if foreigners and twin nationals searching for to depart could be let by means of, he stated: “So long as the crossing is working usually and the (crossing) facility has been repaired.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace stated the choice was authorised after a request from Biden. It stated Israel “won’t thwart” deliveries of meals, water or medication from Egypt, so long as they’re restricted to civilians within the south of the Gaza Strip and don’t go to Hamas militants. The assertion made no point out of gasoline, which is badly wanted for hospital mills.
Family of a few of the roughly 200 individuals who had been taken hostage and compelled again to Gaza in the course of the assault reacted in fury to the help announcement.
“Youngsters, infants, ladies, troopers, males, and aged, some with critical diseases, wounded and shot, are held underground like animals,” stated a press release from the Hostage and Lacking Households Discussion board. However “the Israeli authorities pampers the murderers and kidnappers.”
In his temporary go to, Biden tried to strike a stability between exhibiting U.S. assist for Israel, whereas containing rising alarm amongst Arab allies. He additionally introduced $100 million in humanitarian support for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Financial institution.
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Nessman reported from Jerusalem and Kullab from Baghdad. Related Press journalists Amy Teibel and Isabel Debre in Jerusalem; Samy Magdy and Jack Jeffrey in Cairo; and Ashraf Sweilam in el-Arish, Egypt, contributed to this report.