Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza Kill at Least 70 as Ground Operations Intensify
At least 70 Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded on Thursday after Israel intensified its bombing campaign in Gaza, a local health official said. Medics reported that Israeli airstrikes targeted several houses in both northern and southern areas of the enclave. Israel has not issued an immediate response to the latest claims of civilian casualties.
The attacks came on the heels of Israel’s announcement Wednesday that its ground forces had resumed operations in central and southern Gaza, effectively ending a ceasefire that had largely held since January. The resurgence of violence follows what authorities in Gaza describe as one of the deadliest days of the conflict so far, during which more than 400 Palestinians were reported killed on Tuesday alone.
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Since Tuesday, a total of 510 Palestinians have been killed in airstrikes, with over half of the victims identified as women and children, according to the Gaza health official. The Israeli military said its forces expanded control over the Netzarim Corridor, which bisects Gaza, as part of what it describes as a “focused” maneuver aimed at establishing a partial buffer zone between the northern and southern parts of the enclave.
The Palestinian group Hamas said that the ground operation and incursion into the Netzarim Corridor constitute a “new and dangerous violation” of the two-month-old ceasefire, which it says it remains committed to. A Hamas official told Reuters that international mediators are actively trying to broker a new truce, but so far no agreement has been reached.
