Palestinians trapped in Gaza discover nowhere is protected throughout Israel’s relentless bombing

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes pounded areas throughout the Gaza Strip early Thursday, together with elements of the south that Israel had declared as protected zones, heightening fears amongst greater than 2 million Palestinians trapped within the territory that nowhere was protected.

Within the practically two weeks since a devastating Hamas rampage in southern Israel, the Israeli navy has relentlessly attacked Gaza in response. Even after Israel advised Palestinians to evacuate the north and head to what it referred to as “protected zones” within the south, strikes continued in a single day all through the densely populated territory.

A residential constructing in Khan Younis, a metropolis in southern Gaza the place a whole lot of 1000’s of Palestinians had fought shelter, was among the many locations hit. Medical personnel at Nasser Hospital stated they acquired at the very least 12 lifeless and 40 wounded.

The bombardments got here after Israel agreed Wednesday to permit Egypt to ship restricted humanitarian help to Gaza, the primary crack in a punishing 11-day siege. Many amongst Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have lower down to 1 meal a day and resorted to consuming soiled water.

The announcement of a plan to carry water, meals and different provides into Gaza got here as fury over a Tuesday evening explosion at Gaza Metropolis’s al-Ahli Hospital unfold throughout the Center East. There have been conflicting claims of who was behind the blast, which the Hamas-run Well being Authority stated had killed a whole lot of Palestinians.

Hamas officers in Gaza blamed an Israeli airstrike, saying a whole lot had been killed. Israel denied it was concerned and launched a flurry of video, audio and different data that it stated confirmed the blast was as a substitute as a result of a rocket misfire by Islamic Jihad, one other militant group working in Gaza. Islamic Jihad dismissed the Israeli declare.

The Related Press has not independently verified any of the claims or proof.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who visited Israel on Wednesday, stated information from his Protection Division confirmed the explosion was not going attributable to an Israeli airstrike. The White Home later stated an evaluation of “overhead imagery, intercepts and open-source data” confirmed Israel was not behind the assault. However the U.S. continues to gather proof.

Video from the scene confirmed the hospital grounds strewn with torn our bodies, lots of them younger kids. Tons of of wounded had been rushed to Gaza Metropolis’s principal hospital, the place medical doctors already dealing with important provide shortages had been typically pressured to carry out surgical procedure on the flooring, typically with out anesthesia.

Greater than 1 million Palestinians, roughly half of Gaza’s inhabitants, have fled their houses in Gaza Metropolis and different locations within the northern a part of the territory since Israel advised them to evacuate. Most have crowded into U.N.-run faculty shelters or the houses of family members.

Following early Thursday’s airstrikes, sirens wailed as emergency crews rushed to rescue survivors from a constructing the place many residents had been believed trapped beneath misshapen mattress frames, damaged furnishings and cement chunks.

A small, soot-covered little one, unconscious and dangling within the arms of a rescue employee, was taken out of a broken constructing and rushed towards a ready ambulance.

The Israeli navy stated it killed a high Palestinian militant in Rafah, close to the Egyptian border, and hit a whole lot of targets throughout Gaza, together with tunnel shafts, intelligence infrastructure and command facilities. It stated it hit dozens of mortar launching posts, most of them instantly after they launched shells at Israel. Palestinians have been launching barrages of rockets at Israel because the preventing started.

Israel has stated it’s attacking Hamas militants wherever they might be in Gaza, and accused the group’s leaders and fighters of taking shelter among the many civilian inhabitants, leaving Palestinian feeling in fixed hazard.

The Musa household fled to the sometimes sleepy central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah and took shelter in a cousin’s three-story dwelling close to the native hospital. However at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, a sequence of explosions, believed to be airstrikes, rocked the constructing, turning the household dwelling right into a mountain of rubble that they stated buried some 20 ladies and kids.

The lifeless physique of Hiam Musa, the sister-in-law of Related Press photojournalist Adel Hana, was recovered from the wreckage Wednesday night, the household stated. They don’t know who else is beneath the rubble.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Hana stated. “We went to Deir al-Balah as a result of it’s quiet, we thought we’d be protected.”

The Israeli navy stated it was investigating.

In northern areas that Israel warned to evacuate, airstrikes additionally hit three residential towers in al-Zahra, the Hamas-led Inside Ministry in Gaza stated, in addition to houses alongside the border with Israel. Israel has massed troops within the space and is predicted to launch a floor invasion into Gaza, although navy officers say no resolution has been made.

The Gaza Well being Ministry stated 3,478 individuals have been killed in Gaza because the battle started, and greater than 12,000 wounded, principally ladies, kids and the aged. One other 1,300 persons are believed buried beneath the rubble, well being authorities stated.

Greater than 1,400 individuals in Israel have been killed, principally civilians slain throughout Hamas’ lethal incursion on Oct. 7. Roughly 200 others had been kidnapped. The Israeli navy stated Thursday it had notified the households of 203 captives.

Violence between Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon has additionally flared in latest days amid fears the preventing might unfold throughout the area. Within the West Financial institution, the place scores of Palestinians have been killed because the battle began, Israeli forces killed dozens of Palestinians prior to now two days, in line with the Palestinian Well being Ministry.

The deal to get help into Gaza remained fragile, as hospitals within the sealed territory say they’re on the breaking point.

Biden stated Egypt’s president agreed to open the Rafah crossing to let in an preliminary group of 20 vehicles with humanitarian help. If Hamas confiscates help, “it’s going to finish,” he stated. The help will begin shifting Friday on the earliest, White Home officers stated.

Egypt should nonetheless restore the highway throughout the border, which was cratered by Israeli airstrikes. Greater than 200 vehicles and a few 3,000 tons of help are positioned at or close to the crossing, Gaza’s solely connection to Egypt, stated the top of the Purple Crescent for North Sinai, Khalid Zayed.

Provides will go in beneath supervision of the U.N., Egyptian International Minister Sameh Shoukry advised Al-Arabiya TV. Requested if foreigners and twin nationals looking for to depart could be let by, he stated: “So long as the crossing is working usually and the (crossing) facility has been repaired.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace stated the choice was accredited after a request from Biden. It stated Israel “is not going to thwart” deliveries of meals, water or medication from Egypt, so long as they’re restricted to civilians within the south of the Gaza Strip and don’t go to Hamas militants. The assertion made no point out of gasoline, which is badly wanted for hospital turbines.

Relations of a number of the individuals who had been taken hostage and compelled again to Gaza through the Oct. 7 Hamas assault reacted with fury to the help announcement.

“Youngsters, infants, ladies, troopers, males, and aged, some with critical sicknesses, wounded and shot, are held underground like animals,” stated a press release from the Hostage and Lacking Households Discussion board. However “the Israeli authorities pampers the murderers and kidnappers.”

In his temporary go to, Biden tried to strike a steadiness between displaying U.S. help for Israel, whereas containing rising alarm amongst Arab allies. He additionally introduced $100 million in humanitarian help for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Financial institution.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak arrived in Israel on Thursday in a visit aimed toward displaying solidarity after the Hamas assault and stopping the battle from escalating.

The individuals of Israel had “suffered an unspeakable, horrific act of terrorism and I need you to know that the UK and I stand with you,” he stated on arriving.

Nessman reported from Jerusalem and Kullab from Baghdad. Related Press journalists Amy Teibel and Isabel Debre in Jerusalem; Samy Magdy and Jack Jeffrey in Cairo; and Ashraf Sweilam in el-Arish, Egypt, contributed to this report.