FLASH NEWS
Fierce fighting between Israel and Hamas in northern and southern Gaza
2023-12-07 15:50:26 / BOTA
Intense fighting erupted in the Gaza Strip's biggest cities on Thursday between Israeli forces and Hamas militants, as Palestinian civilians scrambled to find shelter in the few remaining safe spaces available.
The fighting took place in Gaza City, in the north where Israel focused at the start of the campaign against Hamas, as well as in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, where fighting has recently expanded.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli forces are closing in on the location of Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, and that "it is only a matter of time until we find him."
The fighting has forced civilians further south, disrupted UN humanitarian operations and prompted repeated warnings of a further worsening of the situation.
The United Nations said tens of thousands of people have arrived in Rafah, near the southern border, in recent days. The UN said that due to escalating violence further north, this area is the only part of Gaza where a limited amount of humanitarian aid has entered this week.
Residents and journalists reported multiple Israeli airstrikes in Rafah overnight. The Hamas-run health ministry reported at least 37 deaths. The Israeli military accused militants on Thursday of firing rockets from areas near Rafah.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in a letter to the UN Security Council, warns that a total collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza could have "irreversible consequences for the Palestinians as a whole and for peace and security in the region." ".
"In the midst of constant bombardment by the Israel Defense Forces, and without shelter or essential items for survival, I believe that public order will very soon be completely destroyed due to the desperate conditions, making even limited aid impossible." humanitarian," said Mr. Guterres.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen criticized the UN chief's stance, saying his call for a ceasefire would support Hamas.
Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy told reporters that Israel wants the war to end, but only "if the goal is achieved that Hamas can never attack our people again."
The UN's Palestinian refugee agency says about 1.9 million people have been displaced inside Gaza, nearly 85% of the population, and one million of them are registered in UN shelters in southern Gaza.
Israel has accused Hamas, which the United States considers a terrorist group, of infiltrating hospitals and other civilian areas and of encouraging civilians to ignore Israeli warnings to evacuate before airstrikes, using them as human shields – a charge Hamas has denied.
Israel launched the military campaign to eliminate Hamas in Gaza after the group's fighters launched an attack on Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking around 240 hostages.
During its military offensive, Israel has killed at least 16,240 people in Gaza, 70% of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry./ VOA
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