Israel: Hamas fires rockets from "humanitarian zone"
The urban warfare is raging in Khan Yunis, Israel is hunting down the Hamas leadership. Now the army is accusing the terrorist organization of once again abusing civilians as human shields. Twelve rockets were fired from an area for refugees. Meanwhile, criticism of Israel's actions is growing.
According to the Israeli army, Hamas has fired several rockets towards Israel from an area designated as a "humanitarian zone" in the south of the Gaza Strip. According to the military, there are tents of civilians who have fled near the places from which the Islamists launched their attacks. There are also United Nations facilities in the area called Al-Mawasi on the Mediterranean not far from the border with Egypt.
Hamas had fired twelve rockets from there on Wednesday afternoon, including at the Israeli city of Beersheba in southern Israel. Israeli media reported a rocket hitting a parking lot there, causing damage. There were no reports of casualties. According to the army, a misdirected projectile from Al-Mawasi also landed in the Gaza Strip itself on Wednesday. It had endangered civilians there.
Israel's army repeatedly accuses Hamas of abusing civilians in the Gaza Strip as human shields. The terrorist organization rejects this.
Israel continues fighting in the Gaza Strip
Meanwhile, Israel's military is continuing its battles against Hamas in Chan Junis. Dozens of terrorist positions were attacked in the largest city in the southern Gaza Strip, the army announced. Fighting also continued in the north of the coastal region. In Jabalia, soldiers attacked a Hamas military compound and also killed several terrorists. According to the military, they found tunnels and weapons at the site. Israel's navy also fired on Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip again.
In view of the suffering and displacement of Palestinian civilians, international criticism of the army's actions is growing. In a rare move, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on the UN Security Council to take urgent action to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.
The military had called on the population in the northern part of the coastal region to evacuate in recent weeks. People should go to the south - especially to Al-Mawasi. However, according to eyewitnesses, the situation there is also very precarious, with a lack of food and accommodation. According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), there are now almost 1.9 million internally displaced persons in the coastal strip - out of a total population of more than 2.2 million.
Israel is now allowing more fuel to be imported into the south of the Gaza Strip. The Security Cabinet approved a recommendation from the War Cabinet on Wednesday evening, Netanyahu's office announced. An increase in the minimum quantity permitted was necessary "to prevent a humanitarian collapse and the outbreak of epidemics", it said. It was initially unclear by how much the amount of fuel that can be brought into the Gaza Strip each day should actually be increased.
Jordan's air force drops medical supplies
The Jordanian air force dropped medical supplies over the embattled city of Chan Junis on Thursday night. According to the armed forces in the Arab country, this was the fourth drop. However, it was the first to go to the Jordanian field hospital set up around two weeks ago in the city in the southern Gaza Strip. The first three deliveries had gone to a facility in the north.
The Gaza war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other terrorist groups on October 7 in Israel near the border with the Gaza Strip. More than 1200 people were killed. In response, Israel launched massive air strikes and, since the end of October, a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, more than 16,200 people have now been killed in Gaza. This cannot be independently verified at present.
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Despite the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, Jordan's air force has continued to provide humanitarian aid, dropping medical supplies in Khan Yunis on Thursday night. This was the first delivery to a Jordanian field hospital set up in the city.
The tense situation in the Gaza Strip, which has seen Israel and Hamas engaged in a prolonged war, has raised concerns about the welfare of civilians. In response, the Israeli government announced an increase in the amount of fuel allowed to be imported into the south of the Gaza Strip, aiming to prevent a humanitarian collapse and epidemics.
The Gaza Strip, which is home to a significant Palestinian population, has been a conflict zone for decades, with various factions, including Hamas, engaging in wars and conflicts with Israel. Recently, Israel accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields during the conflict, a claim that Hamas denies.
Source: www.ntv.de
