Israel launches 'New Phase' of Gaza Operation
Shafaq News/ The Israeli military announced on Tuesday the launch of a 'new and different phase' of its operations in Gaza, as the humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave continues to deteriorate.
In a statement, Military Spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the new phase aims to 'complete the objectives of the war, including the return of the hostages and the defeat of the terrorist group Hamas.'
According to the statement, forces from the 401st Armored Brigade and the Givati Brigade, operating under the 162nd Division, began a new offensive in northern Gaza, destroying what the army described as 'suspicious buildings' and killing 'dozens of Hamas operatives.' Troops reportedly discovered a tunnel entrance next to a building containing a cache of weapons allegedly used by armed groups in the enclave.
The forces also launched operations in the Tel al-Zaatar area, where military installations were reportedly targeted and fighters killed. Adraee added that over 30 'terrorist infrastructures,' including weapons depots, booby-trapped buildings, and reconnaissance posts, were struck during the campaign.
🔴 الفرقة 162 تعود للقتال في قطاع غزة: ندخل إلى مرحلة جديدة مختلفة في حجمها وقوتها لاستكمال أهداف الحرب في اعادة المختطفين وحسم حماس الارهابية⭕️بدأت قوات اللواء 401 ولواء غفعاتي تحت قيادة الفرقة 162 بالعمل شمال قطاع غزة حيث رصدت ودمرت مباني مشبوهة في المنطقة وقضت على عشرات… pic.twitter.com/018wD9xP5P
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) May 20, 2025
The announcement comes as Israeli airstrikes continue across the Gaza Strip. According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, at least 53 Palestinians were killed and more than 50 were injured in strikes on multiple areas since dawn on Tuesday. The death toll, since October 2023, reached 53,573.
In addition, Palestinian media outlets reported that Israeli forces targeted a medicine warehouse at Nasser Hospital and struck power generators at the Indonesian Hospital. Al-Awda Hospital in northern Gaza said an Israeli drone opened fire on an ambulance in the facility's courtyard.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) stated that life in Gaza has 'completely collapsed,' warning that conditions are deteriorating by the day, with malnutrition spreading rapidly across the strip.
UN Humanitarian Coordinator Tom Fletcher said up to 14,000 babies in Gaza could die within 48 hours if aid supplies fail to reach them. He emphasized the urgent need to 'flood the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid.'
Fletcher noted that, for the first time in 80 days, Israel signaled readiness to allow 11 aid trucks into Gaza, though only five were permitted to enter as of midday Tuesday. 'I want to save as many of these 14,000 babies as we can in the next 48 hours,' he told the BBC, describing the international response as inadequate to meet the scale of need.
The crisis follows an 11-week blockade that began on March 2, during which, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, 57 children died from causes linked to severe malnutrition.
A new report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) released Tuesday warned that 470,000 people in Gaza are now facing catastrophic levels of hunger (IPC Phase 5), and that the entire population is experiencing acute food insecurity.
المكتب الإعلامي الحكومي: 3 أشهر والاحتلال لم يُدخل حبة قمح واحدة على قطاع غزة. pic.twitter.com/aAUieW7kfa
— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) May 20, 2025
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