Israel 'surrounds Gaza City' and hails 'HUNDREDS of terrorists are dead'
Armoured vehicles of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are seen during their ground operations at a location given as Gaza
REUTERS
Israeli forces have surrounded Gaza City just weeks after Benjamin Netanyahu told troops to launch airstrikes and a ground invasion to crush Hamas.
Around 130 Hamas terrorists were killed during Thursday afternoon’s skirmishes alone, the IDF has said.
However, 19 Israeli soldiers have been killed since troops crossed into the Strip a week ago.
In an update, Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi said: “We have advanced another significant stage in the war.
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“The forces are in the heart of northern Gaza, operating in Gaza City, surrounding it, and deepening the offensive and its achievements.”
Netanyahu welcomed the IDF’s advancement as “very impressive”, adding it had reached “beyond the outskirts of the city”.
The Israeli Prime Minister reiterated Gazan civilians should move south amid growing concerns about the death toll inflicted by weeks of airstrikes.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
REUTERS“We will move forward, and we will win.”
Despite the advancement, Israeli leaders expect the war to continue to months.
The United States is now urging Netanyahu to consider pausing operations to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, provide an opportunity for foreign nationals to leave the Strip, and for further talks about the fate of Hamas' hostages.
Antony Blinken, who serves as Joe Biden’s Secretary of State, said: “We will be talking about concrete steps that can and should be taken to minimise harm to men, women and children in Gaza.”
Israeli soldiers drive in a tank by Israel's borderReutersIsrael has meanwhile decided to continue with its third day of bombing the Jabalia refugee camp in the north of Gaza and 20 people were killed after a strike hit a UN-run school yesterday.
More than 9,000 Palestinians have died since Israel responded to Hamas' October 7 attack, the Gaza Health Ministry has said.
Hamas killed 1,400 Israelis and took another 200 hostage during its attack almost four weeks ago.
The terrorist group also claimed responsibility for firing rockets into central and southern Israel.
Hamas were assisted by allies from Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based Shia militia, also launched an aerial onslaught against an Israeli barracks on the northern border.