Israel pushed tanks deeper into Gaza City and detonated explosives-laden vehicles in one suburb as air strikes killed at least 19 people yesterday, Palestinian officials and witnesses said.
Israel is pushing ahead with a plan to take full control of the whole Gaza Strip, starting with Gaza City, with the goal of destroying Hamas and rescuing the remaining 48 hostages after nearly two years of war.
Residents said Israeli forces sent old armoured vehicles into the eastern parts of the overcrowded Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood, then blew them up remotely, destroying several houses and forcing more families to flee.
In leaflets dropped over Gaza City, Israel’s military told residents to head south immediately, saying the army intended to expand its offensive westward.
“People are confused, stay and die, or leave towards nowhere,” Sheikh Radwan resident Mohammad Abu Abdallah told Reuters.
“It was a night of horror, explosions never stopped, and the drones never stopped hovering over the area. Many people quit their homes fearing for their lives, while others have no idea where to go,” the 55-year-old said over a chat app.
The Gaza health ministry said at least 98 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire across the enclave in the past 24 hours.
It added that nine more people, including three children, have died of malnutrition and starvation over the past day, raising deaths from such causes to at least 348, including 127 children.
Israel disputes the hunger fatality figures given by Gaza’s Hamas-run government, arguing that the deaths were due to other medical causes.
Local health authorities said the 19 people, including women and children, were killed in Israeli air strikes on houses in Gaza City. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on those reports.
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