Israeli army expands ground invasion of southern Gaza
Three Israeli military divisions are pushing deep into Gaza City and the north but more Israeli troops continue to advance in the southern part of the Palestinian enclave as well.
The Israeli army said commandos with its Etzioni Brigade have been operating across the ruins of Rafah in recent weeks, and have “attacked and killed dozens of terrorists” and destroyed what remains of infrastructure in the area.
After combing through Rafah, “the forces immediately moved on to continue operations in the Khan Younis area”, also in southern Gaza, which has been separated by a military corridor from Rafah.
Rafah, in southern Gaza, has been left in ruins by Israeli attacks
‘No single space for anyone’: Forced evacuation zone packed with people
Tens of thousands of Palestinians are fleeing besieged Gaza City as Israel escalates its assault to seize the Strip’s largest urban area. But many do not know where to go and have to pay high prices in new locations to set up tents.
“We have arrived in this remote area with no tents, no facilities. We cannot get water supplies. Kids cannot find anything to eat because we are far from everyone else,” said Ahlam Aqel, a displaced woman from Gaza City.
Ahmed Salama, a man forced from his home in northern Gaza, said his future is unclear. “We are going to central Gaza and we do not know where we are going to stay. The al-Mawasi evacuation zone is overcrowded with displaced people. There is no single space for anyone to move there.”
Residents of Gaza City flee to the south in the central Gaza Strip
Gaza’s death toll rises to 65,502
The Health Ministry reports 83 bodies were brought to hospitals across Gaza over the past 24 hours, along with 216 wounded Palestinians.
This brings the death toll from Israeli attacks since October 2023 to 65,502, and 167,376 others wounded. Since Israel broke the ceasefire with Hamas on March 18, at least 12,939 people have been killed and 55,335 wounded.
Over the past day, seven aid seekers have been killed and 50 wounded, bringing the total to 2,538 Palestinians killed while searching for food and 18,581 wounded.
