Several dead in attacks in Gaza Strip - fighting less intense according to civil defense
Witnesses reported fighting between Israeli soldiers and fighters of the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. According to a Civil Defense official, at least 15 people were dug up from different neighborhoods within a few hours.
The spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza, Mahmud Basal, spoke to the AFP news agency on Wednesday, however, about less intense attacks by the Israeli military. "Only a few areas were targeted and the rest of the sectors in the area are currently calm," he said.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced a few days ago that the "intensive phase" of the fighting in Rafah was approaching an end.
The war in Gaza had been going on for more than eight months due to the unprecedented attack by Hamas fighters on Israel on October 7. According to Israeli reports, 1,195 people were killed in the raid. In addition, Hamas is said to have abducted around 250 people into the Gaza Strip.
Since then, Israel has been militarily targeting targets in Gaza. According to Hamas' statements, which have not been independently verified, more than 37,700 people have been killed since then. Among the dead, according to the local Civil Defense, were ten members of the family of the political leader of Hamas living in Qatar, Ismail Haniya. They were allegedly killed on Tuesday in an attack.
While the intensity of the attacks on Gaza is decreasing, concerns are growing about a war between Israel and the Hisbollah militia in the northern neighboring country Lebanon. In the past few days, fears of escalation have intensified due to threats from both sides. Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz threatened the Hisbollah with their destruction in a "comprehensive war".
Such a war could "easily lead to a regional war with devastating consequences for the Middle East," said US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin during a visit to his Israeli counterpart Joav Gallant at the Pentagon.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the West of supporting Israeli plans for attacks on Lebanon. "Netanyahu's plans to expand the war to the region will lead to a great disaster," he said before MPs of his Islamic-conservative party AKP on Wednesday.
- In Rafah, a woman might have heard the sounds of fighting between Israeli soldiers and Hamas fighters in the heart of the Gaza Strip.
- The AFP news agency reported less intense attacks by the Israeli military as reported by the Civil Defense spokesperson in Gaza, Mahmud Basal.
- The Civil Defense official in Gaza, Mahmud Basal, stated that at least 15 people were dug up from various neighborhoods in Rafah within a few hours.
- Hamas fighters are known to be responsible for an unprecedented attack on Israel, which sparked a war in the Gaza Strip that has continued for more than eight months.
- Despite the efforts of the Civil Defense, several children are among the Dead in the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
- Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had announced that the "intensive phase" of the fighting in Rafah was coming to an end.
- The military attacks in Gaza have continued since the abduction of around 250 people by Hamas into the Gaza Strip.
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the West of supporting Israeli plans for attacks on Lebanon, warning that it would lead to a great disaster.
