Israeli tanks and drones advance on Gaza, leaving at least 42 dead and 163 wounded
▲ Palestinians make their way through smoke and dust caused by Israeli shelling of buildings in the Nuseirat refugee camp.Afp Photo
Reuters, Sputnik, Afp and Europa Press
The newspaper La Jornada
Friday, August 23, 2024, p. 24
Gaza. Israeli tanks continue to advance into southern and central Gaza, a Tel Aviv offensive that has left at least 42 people dead and 163 wounded in the 24 hours prior to the report.
Last night, the drones started shooting at the tents, we crouched, maybe for hours, and then the sound of the tanks got louder as they came closer, so we decided to flee.”Imad al-Galayini, 48, told Reuters news agency by telephone from Khan Yunis.
In the central Palestinian town of Deir al-Balah, residents said Israeli vehicles had advanced further from the east and blocked some roads leading to nearby Khan Yunis.
The Gazan Ministry of Health announced that the death toll has reached 40,265 since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas more than 10 months ago.
The invading army claimed that the Deir al Balah operation dismantled dozens of military structures and located rockets.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that more than 50 Hamas fighters were eliminated near Rafah; it also reported the bombing of the building of the central Salah al Din school, where Islamist fighters were hiding a weapons cache.
Israel has denied Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas permission to travel to the Gaza Strip, Riyad al-Maliki, the Palestinian leader’s adviser and special envoy for international relations, said.
We announced that the president would visit Gaza, and immediately (Israeli authorities) replied that they would not allow it. It means that Gaza remains under Israeli occupation.said Al Maliki, adding that Abbas knew that Tel Aviv would deny the permission to visit the Gaza Strip, which does not border the reoccupied West Bank, and for this reason he previously requested help and guarantees of protection from the United Nations Security Council, with the aim of overcoming Israel’s refusal.
In the reoccupied West Bank, three Palestinians were killed after an attack on a shelter in Tulkarem in a anti-terrorist operationNetanyahu’s army declared.
In another offensive, Tel Aviv launched up to 10 airstrikes last night against Hezbollah positions in several areas in southern Lebanon; since October 7, at least 564 people have been killed by Israeli strikes in Lebanon.