This morning, at least seven people died in Israeli attacks in the city of Rafah at the southern end of the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, Israeli troops continue their offensive in the neighborhood of Shujaiya in Gaza City, where they have been operating since last Thursday. The Israeli Army has reported that they have killed dozens of alleged combatants in Shujaiya through hand-to-hand combat and aerial fire. The total casualties since the beginning of the war in the Gaza Strip stand at 37,877 dead, most of whom are women and children, and 86,969 wounded, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza controlled by Hamas. It is estimated that around 10,000 bodies are still trapped under the rubble.
Over the weekend, Israeli troops raided a UN school in Shujaiya that was being used by Hamas militiamen as a hiding place and storage facility, where they found weapons, grenades, and valuable intelligence documents. The Army has accused the Islamists of embedding themselves in civil structures for terrorist purposes.
The Israeli Army is conducting intelligence-based operational activities in Rafah at the southern end of the enclave and in the center of the Strip. In Rafah, the troops eliminated several terrorists in different encounters, dismantled tunnels, and destroyed a mortar launching base. Israeli aircraft also bombed other neighborhoods in Gaza City, resulting in deaths and injuries. Palestinian medical sources have reported difficulties in accessing Shujaiya due to continuous shooting by Israeli troops.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces are operating in Rafah, Shujaiya, and throughout the Gaza Strip, eliminating dozens of terrorists every day. The ongoing Israeli offensive has left the Strip devastated, with residential buildings, schools, and hospitals reduced to rubble, posing a risk of famine for the Gazan population.