Israel has deployed its troops to the south of the Gaza Strip, stating that the war will now cover the entire Palestinian territory and include for the first time Israel’s largest infantry brigade for the escalating ground offensive.
After destroying several Hamas headquarters stations in northern Gaza, Israeli troops and tanks were spotted on Monday in the southern part of the enclave, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced.
Humanitarian groups say they have run out of advice for refugees fleeing the violence – which began when Palestinian terror groups launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking dozens hostage.
“We have nothing to tell them,” Thomas White, director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, said of the refugees, noting that several Israeli counterattacks took place in Khan Younis and Rafah, where almost 1 million people have fled.
Israel continued a relentless campaign of airstrikes in Gaza over the weekend after a seven-day ceasefire. AFP via Getty Images Israel has expanded operations into southern Gaza as it deploys its specially trained Kfir Brigade for the first time. IDF/GPO/SIPA/Shutterstock
Israeli officials say they are doing their best to limit civilian casualties as they aim to exclusively target Hamas, which is known to hide everywhere from hospitals to kindergartens to try to avoid enemies while vowing to destroy Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces said on Monday that the Salah a-Din axis – about 3 miles north of Khan Younis and one of the central routes to the city – is now “a battlefield.”
The IDF warned fleeing Palestinians to avoid the axis.
“The Israel Defense Forces will soon launch a heavy attack in your area with the aim of destroying Hamas,” the IDF said in leaflets dropped in the area.
“Stay in known shelters now until the fighting in the area is over. This is the last hour to move, don’t wait until it becomes impossible,” he added.
The Kfir Brigade is trained to fight Palestinian terrorists and has discovered 30 Hamas tunnels on its own. IDF/GPO/SIPA/Shutterstock Palestinians who fled to Khan Younis are now vacating shelters as the war spreads south. AFP via Getty Images
With operations expanding across Gaza, the IDF has deployed the Kfir Brigade, its largest infantry unit specializing in urban and guerrilla warfare, the Times of Israel reported.
The brigade, which was formed after the 2005 terror attacks in Judea and Samaria, was created specifically to fight Hamas terrorists in the devastated streets of Gaza.
Major General Yaniv Barot, the brigade commander, said it was the first time the unit had been called into combat since it was formed and that it had uncovered more than 30 Hamas tunnel shafts and directed 100 artillery strikes in Gaza.
As Israel strengthens its military power, the Biden administration has talked with the Jewish state about prioritizing the safety of Palestinian civilians who fled south during Israel’s recent seven-day ceasefire with Hamas.
The IDF has warned those in Khan Younis to flee because of an imminent “heavy attack”. AFP via Getty Images Civilians rushed south, with one family using camel and donkey carts to carry their belongings. AFP via Getty Images
Biden told Israel that it could not use the same airstrikes in the south that it did in the north because it would cause more casualties and mass destruction than what has been seen, CNN said.
Israeli bombardment has damaged or destroyed an estimated 40% to 50% of all structures in the northern part of the enclave, according to satellite analysis by researchers at the CUNY Graduate Center and Oregon State University.
The war has so far claimed the lives of more than 14,800 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-affiliated Gaza Ministry of Health.
Injured Palestinian children are being treated at Nasser hospital in Khan Younis. REUTERS Palestinians salvage their belongings after shelling in Deir al Balah on Monday. AP
Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, called for the protection of civilians after arriving in Gaza on Monday to witness the effects of the war.
“I reiterate our urgent call for civilians to be protected in accordance with the laws of war and for unimpeded aid,” Spoljaric wrote on X.
Spoljaric also called on Hamas to release the approximately 137 hostages it is still holding in Gaza so that the Red Cross can treat them.
As the Israeli army advanced, Hamas continued to fire rockets at Israel. AFP via Getty Images
As Israel’s war cabinet is set to convene on Monday, Israeli leaders continue to reiterate that the war will not end until Hamas is completely destroyed.
Ronen Bar, head of Israel’s domestic security agency Shin Bet, said his country would hunt down any and all Hamas members throughout the Middle East.
“Everywhere, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar, everywhere,” Bar said Sunday on Israel’s public broadcaster Kan. “It’s going to take a few years, but we’re going to be there to do it.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
