Israel battles militants in Gaza, with civilians nonetheless in crossfire

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RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli forces battled Palestinian militants in Gaza’s two largest cities on Monday, with civilians nonetheless trapped within the combating even after tons of of 1000’s have fled to different elements of the besieged territory.

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Israel has pledged to maintain combating till it removes Hamas from energy, dismantles its army capabilities and returns the entire hostages taken by militants throughout Hamas’ Oct. 7 shock assault into Israel that ignited the battle.

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The U.S. has offered unwavering diplomatic and army help for the marketing campaign, even because it has urged Israel to reduce civilian casualties and additional mass displacement. The battle has killed 1000’s of Palestinian civilians and pushed practically 85% of the territory’s 2.3 million folks from their houses.

Residents mentioned there was heavy combating in and across the southern metropolis of Khan Younis, the place Israeli floor forces opened a brand new line of assault final week, and battles have been nonetheless underway in elements of Gaza Metropolis and the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, the place massive areas have been lowered to rubble.

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Radwa Abu Frayeh noticed heavy Israeli strikes across the European Hospital in Khan Younis, the place the U.N. humanitarian workplace says tens of 1000’s of individuals have sought shelter. She mentioned a strike hit a house near hers late Sunday.

“The constructing shook,” she mentioned. “We thought it was the top and we’d die.”

Hussein al-Sayyed, who fled Gaza Metropolis earlier within the battle along with his three daughters, is staying in a three-story residence within the metropolis with round 70 others, and mentioned they’ve been rationing meals for days.

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“Over many days, I’ve eaten only one meal a day to save lots of meals for the women. They’re nonetheless younger,” he mentioned. “I don’t know the place to go. No place is secure.”

Hamas is believed to have suffered heavy losses, however on Monday it fired a barrage of rockets that set off sirens in Tel Aviv. One particular person was calmly wounded, based on the Magen David Adom rescue service, and Channel 12 broadcast footage of a cratered street and injury to automobiles and buildings in a suburb.

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FEARS OF PERMANENT DISPLACEMENT

With little or no assist allowed into Gaza, Palestinians face extreme shortages of meals, water and different primary items. Some brazenly fear that Palestinians can be compelled out of the territory altogether in a repeat of the mass exodus from what’s now Israel throughout the 1948 battle surrounding its creation.

“Anticipate public order to utterly break down quickly, and a good worse scenario might unfold together with epidemic ailments and elevated stress for mass displacement into Egypt,” U.N. Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres informed a discussion board in Qatar on Sunday.

Eylon Levy, an Israeli authorities spokesman, known as allegations that Israeli intends to drive folks en masse from Gaza “outrageous and false.” However different Israeli officers have mentioned such a situation, elevating alarm in Egypt and different Arab international locations that refuse to simply accept any refugees.

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On the similar time, it’s not clear when or if Palestinians can be allowed to return to Gaza Metropolis and far of the north — residence to some 1.2 million earlier than the battle — the place complete neighborhoods have been flattened.

Palestinians in Lebanon and the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution noticed a normal strike on Monday known as by activists to demand a cease-fire, after the U.S. vetoed a United Nations Safety Council decision calling for one on Friday. An analogous, nonbinding vote is deliberate within the Basic Meeting on Tuesday.

HARSH CONDITIONS IN THE SOUTH

Israel says it tries to keep away from harming civilians and blames their deaths on Hamas, saying it endangers residents by combating in dense areas and positioning army infrastructure — together with weapons, tunnels and rocket launchers — in or close to civilian buildings.

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The army mentioned 5 troopers have been killed in a battle in southern Gaza on Sunday, after militants fired at them from a faculty and set off an explosive system. It mentioned the troops, backed by plane and tanks, returned hearth and killed the militants.

Forces working in Jabaliya discovered a truck filled with long-range rockets close to a faculty, and a rifle, two rocket-propelled grenade launchers and explosives in a house, the military mentioned.

Israel has urged folks to flee to what it says are secure areas within the south — and the combating in and round Khan Younis has pushed tens of 1000’s towards the city of Rafah and different areas alongside the border with Egypt. However Israel has continued to strike alleged militant targets all through the territory. Related Press reporters noticed 9 our bodies dropped at a neighborhood hospital on Monday after an airstrike hit a house in Rafah in a single day.

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The help group Docs With out Borders mentioned folks within the south are additionally falling in poor health as they pack into crowded shelters or sleep in tents in open areas.

Nicholas Papachrysostomou, MSF emergency coordinator in Gaza, mentioned “each different affected person” at a clinic in Rafah has a respiratory an infection after extended publicity to chilly and rain.

“In some shelters, 600 folks share a single rest room. We’re already seeing many circumstances of diarrhea. Usually youngsters are the worst affected,” he mentioned.

With the battle in its third month, the Palestinian dying toll in Gaza has surpassed 17,900, the bulk ladies and kids, based on the Well being Ministry within the Hamas-controlled territory. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths.

Some 1,300 folks have died on the Israeli aspect, principally civilians killed throughout the Oct. 7 assault, during which Hamas and different militants additionally captured greater than 240 folks, together with infants, ladies and older adults. Greater than 100 captives have been launched throughout a weeklong cease-fire late final month in exchanges for ladies and minors held in Israeli prisons.

Israel says Hamas nonetheless has 117 hostages and the stays of 20 individuals who died in captivity or throughout the preliminary assault. The Israeli toll consists of 104 troopers who’ve died for the reason that begin of the Gaza floor offensive in late October.

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