"Over the past few hours, IDF (army) troops began conducting ground activity in the Shabura area of Rafah," the occupation army said in a statement, adding that forces had dismantled military infrastructure linked to Palestinian resistance groups and were continuing ground operations in northern and central Gaza.
The Israeli army also said it had carried out airstrikes across Gaza in the past few hours, targeting sites linked to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Meanwhile, the Palestinian health ministry reported that at least 710 people had been killed and over 900 injured since Israel resumed its war on Gaza on Tuesday.
Israel has repeatedly justified its targeting of civilian areas by claiming, without providing evidence, that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups are present there. However, most of the casualties in Israel’s assault are innocent women and children.
The renewed Israeli offensive has drawn widespread condemnation and shattered a relative calm in the war-ravaged territory, where a ceasefire had begun on 19 January.
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) denounced on Thursday "an endless unleashing of the most inhumane ordeals" on the people of Gaza after Israel renewed deadly airstrikes and ground operations.
"Israeli forces bombardment continues from air and sea for the third day," Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X. "Under our daily watch, people in Gaza are again and again going through their worst nightmare."
Hamas had sought to uphold the deal, which set out a phased captive-prisoner exchange followed by negotiations for a permanent truce in the second phase. However, Israel refused to move forward, blocking talks on a full withdrawal and a lasting ceasefire while imposing preconditions, restricting humanitarian aid, and stalling negotiations.
Hamas has said it remains open to talks but insists no new agreements are needed. “We have no conditions, but we demand that the occupation be compelled to immediately halt its aggression and war of extermination, and begin the second phase of negotiations,” Hamas official Taher al-Nunu told AFP on Thursday.
Short link: