At least 23 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, according to local health officials, as the Israeli military extended evacuation orders to tens of thousands of residents throughout the enclave.
The Israeli military resumed its campaign against Hamas in Gaza a week ago, shattering a two-month ceasefire. Since then, nearly 700 people, mostly women and children, have been killed, Palestinian health officials say.
Most of Gaza’s 2.3 million population has already been displaced by the fighting multiple times during nearly 18 months of war and is facing worsening shortages of food and water after Israel suspended aid deliveries earlier this month.
Evacuation Order
Besides launching strikes on Gaza, the Israeli army on Tuesday issued evacuation orders for residents of all northern border towns, saying Palestinian rockets had been fired at Israel from the area.
The affected towns include Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and Shejaia in Gaza City. Orders were also issued for areas in Khan Younis and Rafah in the south.
“For your safety, you must move immediately south to known shelters,” the military said in its orders to residents in Jabalia, the largest of Gaza’s historic refugee camps.
Palestinian and United Nations officials say there are no safe areas in the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s Renewed Offensive
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the renewed offensive aimed to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining 59 hostages it is holding in Gaza. About 24 of them are believed to be still alive.
Hamas, which accuses Israel of abandoning the January 19 ceasefire deal, said it was cooperating with a new effort, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, to restore calm and conclude the three-phase ceasefire agreement.
According to some Hamas sources, there has been no breakthrough.
Gaza Conflict
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s subsequent military assault on Gaza has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, according to the local health ministry.
(With inputs from Reuters)
