Hamas is “exploiting civilians” in Gaza and deliberately placing rocket launchers in schools, a kindergarten and a mosque, according to the Israel Defence Forces.
The IDF said it was continuing its offensive to target rocket launching positions and other Hamas sites in northern Gaza, despite widespread calls on Israel to minimise the risk of civilian casualties.
The Israeli military has released multiple images of their aerial strikes on a number of targets, along with still images the IDF said proves the placement of rocket launchers next to civilian sites.
In a post on the social media messaging platform Telegram, the IDF claimed that Hamas had been “exploiting civilians” and “deliberately fires its rockets at Israeli civilians.
As well as schools and a mosque, the Israeli military said that Hamas had also placed rocket launchers next to a United Nations building.
In southern Gaza, a second convoy of aid trucks has made it through the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.
A total of 34 aid trucks have now crossed from Egypt in the past two days.
The US President Joe Biden and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke in a telephone call and pledged “there will now be continued flow of this critical assistance into Gaza” according to the White House.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
An Israeli army M109 155mm self-propelled howitzer fires rounds near the border with GazaGETTYThe UN humanitarian office said the volume of aid entering so far was just 4 per cent of the daily average before the hostilities and a fraction of what was needed with food, water, medicines and fuel supplies critically short.
The Israelis have so far refused to agree to any significant quantities of fuel being transferred into Gaza, over fears that the fuel will be commandeered by Hamas.
At least 320 targets in Gaza have been struck in the past 24 hours, as Israel continues its attempt to degrade Hamas before any ground invasion.
Israel said the strikes targeted “tunnels containing Hamas terrorists, dozens of operational command centres.. and observation posts.”
Smoke rises and ball of fire over a buildings in Gaza CityGETTYPrime Minister Netanyahu has convened a meeting of his war cabinet this morning to discuss the latest developments.
On Sunday, the Israeli Prime Minister issued a stark warning to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon that any move to open up another front in the war would be “the biggest mistake of its life”.
Mr Netanyahu said that the Israeli response to Hezbollah entering the war would be a military response of “unimaginable magnitude”.
Overnight, the IDF said it had struck multiple targets around the border with Lebanon, claiming to have struck at least four cells planning imminent attacks on Israeli communities and military installations in the area.
