Israeli forces intensified their operations across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of 35 Palestinians through aerial and ground bombardments, according to health officials and Hamas media reports. The situation escalated in the southern city of Rafah, where Israeli troops engaged in close combat with Hamas-led militants.
Residents reported Israeli tanks advancing in southeastern Rafah, nearing the western district of Yibna, while maintaining positions in three eastern suburbs. “The Israeli forces are pushing westward, and they are now on the outskirts of Yibna, which is heavily populated. They haven’t invaded it yet,” said one resident, who requested anonymity. “Explosions and black smoke are visible from the areas under attack. It was another very difficult night,” he told Reuters via a chat app.
The dual assaults in northern and southern Gaza have prompted a massive displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, disrupting major aid routes and increasing the risk of famine. Israel has justified its actions in Rafah, stating the necessity to eliminate the remaining Hamas fighters believed to be hiding there. Israeli troops have been gradually moving into Rafah’s eastern outskirts since early this month.
According to an Israeli military statement, the troops are acting on intelligence about terrorist targets in the “Brazil” and “Shaboura” areas, making efforts to avoid civilian casualties after evacuating residents. However, Palestinian residents reported no incursion in Shaboura. The military statement also mentioned that Israeli forces discovered and dismantled rocket launchers and tunnel shafts, and neutralized several militants during close-quarters combat.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) estimated that over 800,000 people had fled Rafah since Israel intensified its operations in early May, despite international appeals for restraint. Concurrently, Israeli forces escalated their ground offensive in Jabalia, destroying residential areas and targeting the nearby town of Beit Hanoun, regions where Israel had previously declared major operations concluded. The Israeli military stated that the renewed actions were necessary to prevent Hamas from regrouping.
In a statement, the Israeli military reported targeted raids in Beit Hanoun aimed at eliminating terrorists and destroying terror infrastructure. The fighting claimed the lives of three Israeli soldiers on Wednesday, bringing the total number of soldiers killed since the Gaza incursions began on October 20 to 286.
The Israeli offensive on Gaza was launched following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israeli communities on October 7, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and over 250 hostages being taken. Since then, the ongoing conflict has resulted in over 35,000 Palestinian deaths, with thousands more feared buried under rubble, according to Gaza health authorities.
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