The military operation came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump concluded his Middle East trip without a visit to Israel.
On Saturday afternoon, an Israeli strike killed at least four children in the Jabaliya refugee camp in the north, according to al-Awda Hospital, which received the bodies.
Airstrikes around Deir al-Balah in central Gaza killed 14 people, with the bodies arriving at al-Aqsa hospital.
A separate statement said that the military had killed dozens of fighters while dismantling an “underground route” in northern Gaza.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation identified several U.S. military veterans, former humanitarian coordinators and security contractors to lead the effort.
JERUSALEM (AP) — After days of strikes across the Palestinian territory that killed hundreds of people, Israel announced on Saturday that it has launched a major operation in the Gaza Strip to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages.
Israel Katz, the defense minister, stated that “great force” was being used to lead Operation Gideon Chariots. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had promised to increase pressure in order to destroy the militant organization that has controlled Gaza for almost 20 years.
The military action took place one day after U. A. Without visiting Israel, President Donald Trump wrapped up his trip to the Middle East. Trump’s visit was supposed to boost the likelihood of a ceasefire agreement or the return of humanitarian aid to Gaza, which Israel has blocked for over two months.
There has been no progress in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Prior to Trump’s visit, Hamas released an Israeli-American hostage as a gesture of goodwill. Israel has stated that it will not accept a deal that would end the war and result in the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
On social media, Israel’s army declared that it was stepping up its attacks and applying “tremendous pressure” on Hamas throughout Gaza, and that it would not halt until the hostages were freed and the militant organization was destroyed.
Israeli authorities have voiced concerns about the condition of three of the hostages in Gaza, but Israel believes up to 23 of them are still alive.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israeli strikes have killed over 150 people in the past 24 hours. According to the report, since Israel violated a ceasefire in January on March 18, over 3,000 people have died.
An Israeli strike in the northern Jabaliya refugee camp killed at least four children on Saturday afternoon, according to the bodies that were taken to al-Awda Hospital. The strike, which struck a house, injured seven more people. A subsequent attack in Jabaliya claimed four lives, according to the hospital.
Fourteen people were killed by airstrikes near Deir al-Balah in central Gaza; their bodies were taken to al-Aqsa hospital. Eight people, including four children and their parents, were killed in a single house attack.
Israeli officials did not immediately comment on the strikes. In a different statement, the military claimed to have destroyed an “underground route” in northern Gaza and killed dozens of fighters.
Israel’s blockade in month three.
The Israeli blockade of Gaza is in its third month, and over two million people are unable to access fuel, food, water, or other necessities. According to food security experts, if the blockade isn’t lifted, Gaza will go hungry.
This past week, a brand-new humanitarian group with U. S. backing to assume responsibility for aid delivery stated that it anticipates starting operations by the end of the month following what it characterizes as significant agreements with Israeli officials. The Humanitarian Foundation for Gaza’s list of U. A. Security contractors, former humanitarian coordinators, and veterans of the armed forces will spearhead the endeavor.
The U.S. is among the many humanitarian organizations. No. declared that they would not take part because the system is incompatible with humanitarian ideals and cannot provide for the needs of Gaza’s Palestinian population.
Fletcher, Tom, the U. N. With 160,000 pallets of supplies ready to go, the humanitarian chief stated on Friday that an aid delivery plan is already in place and that it is ready to be activated “today — if we are simply allowed to do our jobs.”. “”.
The Gaza War started in October. On July 7, 2023, militants led by Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 more. The Health Ministry in Gaza, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, reports that Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 53,000 Palestinians, many of them women and children.
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