Israel expands Gaza floor offensive, says efforts in south shall be ‘no less strength’ than in north

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — The Israeli navy stated Sunday that its floor offensive had expanded to each a part of Gaza, and authorities ordered extra evacuations within the crowded south as they vowed that operations there in opposition to Hamas could be “no less strength” than the sooner efforts within the north.

Heavy bombardment adopted the evacuation orders, and Palestinians within the Gaza Strip stated they have been operating out of locations to go within the sealed-off territory that borders Israel and Egypt. Many of its 2.3 million individuals are crammed into the south after Israel ordered civilians to go away the north within the early days of the battle, which was sparked by the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault in Israel that killed about 1,200 individuals, principally civilians.

The United Nations estimates that 1.8 million Gazans have been displaced. Juliette Toma, director of communications on the U.N. company for Palestinian refugees, stated practically 958,000 of them have been in 99 U.N. services within the south.

After darkish, gunfire and shelling might be heard within the central city of Deir al-Balah as flares lit the sky. In Gaza’s second-largest metropolis of Khan Younis, Israeli drones buzzed overhead. U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk urged an finish to the battle, saying civilian struggling was “too much to bear.”

The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza stated the loss of life toll there since Oct. 7 has surpassed 15,500, with greater than 41,000 wounded. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, however stated 70% of the lifeless have been girls and kids.

A Health Ministry spokesman asserted that tons of had been killed or wounded since a weeklong cease-fire ended Friday. “The majority of victims are still under the rubble,” Ashraf al-Qidra stated.

Fears of a wider battle intensified. A U.S. warship and a number of business ships got here underneath assault within the Red Sea, the Pentagon stated. Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed assaults on two ships they described as being linked to Israel however didn’t acknowledge focusing on a U.S. Navy vessel.

Hopes for one more short-term truce in Gaza have been fading. The cease-fire facilitated the discharge of dozens of the roughly 240 Gaza-held Israeli and international hostages in trade for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But Israel has referred to as its negotiators house, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the battle will proceed till “all its goals” are achieved. One is to take away Hamas from energy in Gaza.

Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan stated resuming talks with Israel on additional exchanges should be tied to a everlasting cease-fire.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby informed NBC’s “Meet the Press” the U.S. was working “really hard” for a resumption of negotiations.

Israel‘s military widened evacuation orders in and around Khan Younis in the south, telling residents of at least five more areas to leave. Residents said the military dropped leaflets saying “Khan Younis city is a dangerous combat zone” and ordering them to move south to the border city of Rafah or a coastal area in the southwest.

But Halima Abdel-Rahman, a widow and mother of four, said she won’t heed such orders anymore. She fled her house in October to an space exterior Khan Younis, the place she stays with family.

“The occupation tells you to go to this area, then they bomb it,” she stated by cellphone. “The reality is that no place is safe in Gaza. They kill people in the north. They kill people in the south.”

The United States, Israel’s closest ally, has urged Israel to keep away from important new mass displacement and do extra to guard civilians. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris informed Egypt’s president that “under no circumstances” would the U.S. allow the compelled relocation of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank, an ongoing siege of Gaza or the redrawing of its borders.

On the bottom in Gaza, there was frustration and mourning. Outside a Gaza City hospital, a dust-covered boy named Saaed Khalid Shehta dropped to his knees beside the bloodied physique of his little brother Mohammad, one in every of a number of our bodies laid out after individuals stated their avenue was hit by airstrikes. He kissed him.

“You bury me with him!” the boy cried. A well being employee at Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital stated greater than 15 kids have been killed.

Israel‘s military said its fighter jets and helicopters struck targets in the Gaza Strip including “tunnel shafts, command centers and weapons storage facilities.” It acknowledged ”extensive aerial attacks in the Khan Younis area.”

The bodies of 31 people killed in bombardment of central Gaza were taken to the Al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah, said Omar al-Darawi, a hospital administrative employee. One woman wept, cradling a child’s physique. Another carried the physique of a child. Later, hospital staff reported 11 extra lifeless after one other airstrike. Bloodied survivors included a toddler carried in on a mattress.

Outside a morgue in Khan Younis, resident Samy al-Najeila carried the physique of a kid. He stated his sons had been making ready to evacuate their house, “but the occupation didn’t give us any time. The three-floor building was destroyed completely, the whole block was totally destroyed.” He stated six of the our bodies have been his family.

“Five people are still under the rubble,” he stated. “God help us.”

During a visit to the United Arab Emirates as the highest U.S. consultant on the U.N. local weather convention, Harris stated: “Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.”

Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Netanyahu, stated Israel was making “maximum effort” to guard civilians. In addition to the leaflets, the navy has used cellphone calls and radio and TV broadcasts to induce Gazans to maneuver from particular areas.

Israel says it targets Hamas operatives and blames civilian casualties on the militants, accusing them of working in residential neighborhoods. It claims to have killed 1000’s of militants, with out offering proof. Israel says no less than 78 of its troopers have been killed within the offensive in northern Gaza.

The widening offensive doubtless will additional complicate humanitarian help to Gaza. Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority, stated 100 help vans entered Sunday, however U.N. businesses have stated 500 vans per day on common entered earlier than the battle.

The renewed hostilities even have heightened considerations for the 137 hostages who the Israeli navy believes are nonetheless being held by Hamas. During the latest truce, 105 hostages have been freed, and Israel launched 240 Palestinian prisoners. Most of these launched by either side have been girls and kids.

The households of hostages have referred to as for an pressing assembly with Israel‘s Security Cabinet, saying time is “running out to save those still held by Hamas.”

Elsewhere in the region, Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group stated it struck Israeli positions close to the tense Lebanon-Israel border. Eleven individuals – eight troopers and three civilians – have been wounded by Hezbollah fireplace within the space of Beit Hillel, military radio reported. The navy stated its artillery struck sources of fireplace from Lebanon. It additionally stated its fighter jets struck different Hezbollah targets.

And Iraqi militants with the Iran-backed umbrella group the Islamic Resistance in Iraq stated they struck the Kharab al-Jir U.S. navy base in Syria with rockets. A U.S. navy official, talking on situation of anonymity consistent with rules, stated rockets hit Rumalyn Landing Zone in Syria however there have been no studies of casualties or injury.

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Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy in Cairo; Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece; and Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel, contributed to this report.