More than 28,000 Palestinians have died due to Israel’s military offensive against the Gaza Strip following attacks by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) on October 7, authorities in the enclave controlled by the Palestinian Islamist group reported on Saturday.
“The number of victims of Israeli aggression has increased to 28,64 martyrs and 67,611 wounded since October 7,” Gaza’s Health Ministry said in a statement, saying 117 deaths and 152 wounded were confirmed in the last 24 hours .
Therefore, he emphasized this “The Israeli occupation carried out 16 massacres of families in the Gaza Strip” on the last day and has indicated that “several victims are still lying under the rubble or on the streets as the occupation makes it impossible for ambulances and civil defense personnel to reach them”, so the number of victims could be higher.
The Israeli army launched its offensive against Gaza following the Hamas attacks, in which nearly 1,200 people died and around 240 were kidnapped, according to reports from Israeli authorities. Aside from that, More than 375 Palestinians were killed in security force operations and attacks by settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 7.
Crisis in Rafah
Hamas warned this Saturday that a Israeli ground offensive in Rafah could cause “tens of thousands of deaths and injuries.” in this southern Gaza city, the last refuge for those displaced by the war in the Palestinian territory.
On Saturday, Israeli bombings again took place on the border town with Egypt, which is home to 1.3 million Palestinians, more than half of Gaza’s total population.. The vast majority are refugees who fled the Israeli offensive. in other parts of the strip.
Palestinian security sources said five police officers were killed in two bombings. Israeli forces said two senior Hamas military officials were killed in one of those attacks.
After establishing a foothold in Gaza City and Khan Younis, Israel shows signs of preparing ground operation in Rafah.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday called on the military to develop a “combined plan” to “evacuate” civilians from Rafah and “destroy” Hamas in that city.
“It is impossible to achieve the war goal without eliminating Hamas and leaving four Hamas battalions in Rafah,” he said. To do this, it is necessary for “civilians to evacuate the combat areas,” he added.
The Palestinian Islamist movement, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, warned in a statement of the risk of a “catastrophe and massacre that could result in tens of thousands of martyrs and injuries.”
With information from Europa Press and Reuters.
ORP