At least 70 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza on Thursday, as Israel resumed its bombing campaign on the enclave, according to a Gaza health official.
Medics said Israeli airstrikes targeted several houses across northern and southern areas of the Gaza Strip. There was no immediate comment from Israel.
Ground Operations Resumed
On Wednesday, the Israeli military said its forces had resumed ground operations in central and southern Gaza, after a ceasefire that had broadly held since January collapsed.
The renewed ground operations came a day after more than 400 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes in one of the deadliest episodes since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023.
Since Tuesday, airstrikes have killed 510 Palestinians, with more than half of them women and children, the health official told Reuters.
‘Focused’ Manoeuvre
The Israeli military said its operations extended Israel’s control over the Netzarim Corridor, which bisects Gaza, and were a “focused” manoeuvre aimed at creating a partial buffer zone between the north and the south of the enclave.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas said the ground operation and the incursion into the Netzarim Corridor were a “new and dangerous violation” of the two-month-old ceasefire agreement.
In a statement, the group reaffirmed its commitment to the deal and called on mediators to “assume their responsibilities”.
Speaking to Reuters on Thursday, a Hamas official said mediators had stepped up their efforts with the two warring sides but added that “no breakthrough has yet been made.”
The group has made no clear threats to retaliate.
Israel-Hamas Conflict
The war started after Hamas militants attacked Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 and taking more than 250 hostages, by Israeli tallies.
More than 49,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ensuing conflict, according to Gaza’s health authorities, with the enclave reduced to rubble.
(With inputs from Reuters)
