Israel made a “significant and expanded” advance into Hamas-ruled Gaza on Sunday, surrounding the Gaza city in its entirety and attacking targets above and below ground, said army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.
“As of today, northern Gaza is separated from the south,” Hagari said. A humanitarian corridor remains open for residents to flee south, he said.
Photographs from the Hamas-controlled coastal strip showed people walking south, their belongings piled on donkey carts.
The new attack was announced as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ended a visit to Baghdad, a stop on a diplomatic tour of the Middle East that included talks in the West Bank with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Arab leaders are calling for a ceasefire, which the United States opposes in favor of “humanitarian pauses” to increase aid to Gaza and make room for possible hostage releases.
On Israel’s northern border, tensions rose amid exchanges of gunfire.
Hezbollah said it launched several Grad missiles at Kiryat Shmona, a city in northern Israel, after the Israeli army attacked a civilian car in southern Lebanon, state-run NNA reported. Israel’s Channel 12 said Hezbollah’s claim was the first since the start of the war on October 7.
Hezbollah said it “will never tolerate harm and attacks on civilians,” adding that its “response will be firm and strong.” An Israeli drone killed four people, including three children, the Lebanese prime minister’s office said in a post on X.
Hagari said in his broadcast speech that Israel returned fire against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, including against “terrorist infrastructure, terrorist units and vehicles used by terrorists,” after anti-tank fire killed an Israeli civilian.
Source: Gestion
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