Israeli army is locked in street battles in Hamas stronghold as Tel-Aviv also launches strikes on Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and Syria
- Israel fought Hamas in the streets in southern Gaza to capture Khan Yunis
Israeli forces yesterday fought street battles against Hamas terrorists in southern Gaza as they tried to capture the main town of Khan Yunis.
The military said it targeted Hamas strongholds, as well as an explosives-making factory, a “war room” used by the terrorists and several underground tunnel networks.
The attack deep in southern Gaza came as the Israeli army also launched attacks on Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists in neighboring Lebanon and Syria.
The ground offensive in Khan Yunis was accompanied yesterday by attacks on refugee camps on the outskirts of the city where the Israel Defense Force (IDF) said Hamas hideouts were located.
The deadly air and land strikes killed at least 165 Gaza residents and injured 250 others, the Hamas-led Health Ministry said.
NAMATH: A child is pulled from the rubble after Israeli attacks on Gaza
Palestinians inspect damage after Israeli attacks on the Zawayda area in the central Gaza Strip
As the Bureij, Nuseirat and Maghazi camps were bombed, the IDF showered them with pamphlets in Arabic ordering Gaza's nearly 90,000 residents and 61,000 displaced residents to move south.
IDF Lieutenant Colonel Peter Lerner told The Mail on Sunday: “We kill dozens of Hamas terrorists every day. So far we have killed 8,000 people – that's about a third.
“Our endgame is to restore security and stability to Israel. We will protect our armed forces and our country. We will not live under threat; we have an obligation to our country.”
Lt. Col. Lerner added that Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon was firing anti-tank missiles, drones and missiles at Israel every day, which could lead to an all-out war between the two sides.
“There are 50 to 60 different incidents every day from the Lebanese border,” he said. 'They endanger the stability of the region. Hezbollah must look closely at what is happening in Gaza, and if they continue, they will bear full responsibility.”
The offensive came amid a furious diplomatic row between Israel and South Africa after it accused Tel Aviv of committing genocide against Palestinians. South Africa has also urged the International Court of Justice in The Hague to halt the attacks.
In response, the Israeli government said it had rejected the genocide claims “with disgust” and in turn accused South Africa of collaborating with Hamas terrorists.
A view of damaged buildings and cars as residents search for their belongings among the rubble after the Israeli attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp in Deir al-Balah, Gaza
Clouds of smoke over Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip during the Israeli bombardment, on December 30, 2023
Israel's air and ground offensive against Hamas has displaced as many as 85 percent of the Gaza Strip's 2.3 million residents.
Residents and civil protection teams conduct a search and rescue operation around the rubble of buildings following an Israeli attack on a building in Beit Lahia, Gaza