Casualties are likely to rise sharply as the war turns to close urban combat.
11/06/2023 08:01 PM ESTKHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — The Israeli army severed northern Gaza from the rest of the besieged territory and pounded it with airstrikes Monday, preparing for expected ground battles with Hamas militants in Gaza’s largest city and an even bloodier phase of the month-old war.
“We’re closing in on them,” said Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, an Israeli military spokesman. “We’ve completed our encirclement, separating Hamas strongholds in the north from the south.”Several hundred thousand people are believed to remain in the north in the assault’s path. The military says a one-way corridor for residents of Gaza City and surrounding areas to flee south remains available. But many are afraid to use the route, part of which is held by Israeli troops.
The overnight barrages crushed homes, burying unknown numbers of people underneath, in the Shati refugee camp, a densely built-up district on the Mediterranean coast adjacent to central Gaza City, Palestinians who fled south Monday reported. Mobile phone and internet service went down overnight, the third territory-wide outage since the start of the war, but was gradually restored on Monday.: President Joe Biden raised the need for humanitarian pauses directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a call Monday, but there was no agreement reached, the White House said.
The war has also stoked wider tensions, with Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group trading fire along the border. In another sign of growing unrest, a Palestinian man stabbed two members of Israel’s paramilitary Border Police in east Jerusalem before being shot dead, according to police and an AP reporter at the scene. Police said one of the officers, a 20-year-old woman, was later pronounced dead.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Israeli forces cut off north Gaza to isolate Hamas as advance into Gaza City loomsPalestinian death toll tops 10,000 as major ground battle appears imminent
Read more »
Israeli forces cut off north Gaza to isolate Hamas as advance on urban center loomsThe Israeli army severed northern Gaza from the rest of the besieged territory and pounded it with airstrikes Monday, preparing for expected ground...
Read more »
North Gaza cut off by Israeli forces to isolate Hamas as advance on urban center loomsIsraeli forces have severed northern Gaza from the rest of the besieged territory and pounded it with intense airstrikes overnight, setting the stage for an expected push into the dense confines of Gaza City and an even bloodier phase of the month-old war.
Read more »
Israeli strikes on Gaza intensify, pressure mounts over civilian casualtiesIsraeli fighter jets struck 450 Hamas targets in Gaza and troops seized a militant compound in the past 24 hours, the Israel Defense Forces said on Monday, while the Palestinian enclave’s hea…
Read more »
Israeli forces cut off north Gaza to isolate Hamas as Palestinian deaths surpass 10,000The White House hopes a pause will aid negotiations to free more than 200-Hamas held hostages.
Read more »
Israeli forces cut off north Gaza to isolate Hamas as Palestinian deaths surpass 10,000The White House hopes a pause will aid negotiations to free more than 200-Hamas held hostages.
Read more »