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As relief organizations alert Gaza to impending disaster, Israel intensifies its attacks.



Attacks in north and central Gaza by Israel escalated while relief organizations caution that the situation in Rafah "defies imagination."

Israel has persisted in its military incursion into Gaza, as seen by the intense gunfights that have broken out between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian armed groups in the northern Jabalia camp and the southern, Egypt-bordering city of Rafah.

Residents of the now mostly demolished northern Jabalia region reported that on Wednesday, Israeli tanks had destroyed groups of homes in the area, but they were also encountering fierce opposition from militants affiliated with both the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) armed group and Hamas, the Palestinian organization that controls Gaza.

Abu Jehad claimed, "They are bombing houses on top of their occupants."

While Israel's military claimed to have eliminated numerous jihadists in the area, the PIJ claimed to have killed some Israeli troops in Jabalia.


Israel claimed to have crushed Hamas in northern Gaza months ago, yet just this week, it moved troops back into same regions.

More evacuations from the northern Gaza neighborhoods of Sheikh Zayyed and al-Manshiya were ordered by the Israeli military. About 100,000 people are thought to have been forcibly removed from the north in recent days, according to UN estimates.

According to the official Palestinian Wafa news agency, a gathering of Palestinians was attacked by Israeli forces near the intersection of Jalaa Street and al-Oyoun Street in Gaza City, resulting in multiple fatalities.

According to Wafa, at least three bodies and several critical cases arrived at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City.


Hani Mahmoud of Al Jazeera says that more deaths are anticipated from this attack, which targeted a gathering place for internet access.

"This pattern of attacks on civilians congregating in large groups—at food distribution sites, internet connection points, or even solar-powered locations where they can charge their phones or computers—is not new to us," Mahmoud added.

At least 82 Palestinians were murdered in the preceding 24 hours, according to Palestinian health officials.

 

"Vengeful" assaults
Attacks on civilians throughout the Gaza Strip have been denounced by Hamas, which described them as "fascist and vengeful" acts that demonstrate the Israeli army's "defeat."

Israeli tanks have gathered in Rafah's eastern suburbs and, in recent days, have been penetrating the city's built-up sections, where hundreds of thousands of internally displaced residents have sought safety from the shelling occurring elsewhere in Gaza.

According to locals, Israeli forces had advanced into three neighborhoods, and Palestinian militants were attempting to stop tanks and soldiers from approaching the center.

As the Israeli army advances into the city to carry out its much-criticized ground invasion, aid organizations, such the International Rescue Committee (IRC), have issued warnings that they will likely experience major disruptions in their humanitarian activities.

"I recently got back from Gaza, where the catastrophe is unimaginably large. Repurposed buildings in southern Gaza have become improvised shelters that spill into the streets, according to Kiryn Lanning, the IRC team lead for the occupied Palestinian territory.

Lanning continued, "There are currently severe shortages of basic necessities such as food, water, and adequate sanitation for this displaced population."

Last week, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, issued a warning that there were only a few days left of fuel left for southern Gaza's hospitals to operate, and that fuel entry into the Strip was crucial to prevent humanitarian aid from reaching the area after the Israeli army captured and closed the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

Since Israeli forces took over control of the Gaza side of the border on May 7, sporadic truck supplies of aid into Gaza have decreased to a trickle.

Monday saw the far-right Israelis raid a convoy transporting supplies for humanitarian relief that had crossed from Jordan through the occupied West Bank.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, asserted that there is "no humanitarian catastrophe" in Rafah, where the UN estimates that 450,000 people have been forced from their homes since last week.

The ceasefire negotiations, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, have reached a standstill as the combat gets more intense. Netanyahu's government has stated that it will not stop until Hamas is completely destroyed, while Hamas is demanding a permanent pause to strikes.

Israel was pressed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to present a comprehensive plan for Gaza's post-conflict future.


The majority of international governments believe that the establishment of an independent Palestinian state is the only viable long-term solution, but Netanyahu is against it.

He insisted that the Palestinian organization be destroyed before any attempt to install a rival government in Gaza could begin, and he asked that this objective be pursued "without excuses."

In a video statement that was made public, he made these comments in response to a public challenge from Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who charged that the government has avoided having a meaningful conversation about a plan for a post-war Palestinian government that would not include Hamas.

Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, has reaffirmed that his organization opposes any post-conflict agreement that excludes Hamas.

In a statement released late on Wednesday, Haniyeh declared, "We are here to stay," and stated that the group is remaining true to its calls for an end to hostilities in Gaza. 

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