Zionist military OKs plan for new offensive in Gaza
Prime Benjamin Minister Netanyahu's government has not provided a precise timetable for when Zionist troops will enter Gaza City, where thousands have taken refuge after fleeing previous offensives. Ismail Al-Thawabta, director general of the Hamas government media office in Gaza, told AFP on Wednesday that 'the occupation forces continue to carry out aggressive incursions in Gaza City.' 'These assaults represent a dangerous escalation aimed at imposing a new reality on the ground by force, through a scorched-earth policy and the complete destruction of civilian property,' he added.
Sabah Fatoum, 51, who lives in a tent in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City told AFP by phone that 'the explosions are massive' in the area. There are 'many air strikes and tanks are advancing in the southern area of Tal al-Hawa with drones above our heads,' she said. 'The tanks are still there, and I saw dozens of civilians fleeing' to the west of the city, she added. Gaza's civil defense agency said airstrikes on Gaza City have intensified in recent days, with the residential neighborhoods of Zeitoun and Sabra hit 'with very heavy air strikes targeting civilian homes, possibly including high-rise buildings'. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that Zionist airstrikes or fire had killed at least 35 people across Gaza on Wednesday.
AFP footage from Gaza City on Tuesday showed Palestinians fleeing airstrikes on the Zeitoun and Asqoola using overladen carts, vans and bikes. 'I didn't bring a mattress or anything and we just escaped death and now we're running away and we don't know where to go,' said displaced Palestinian Fidaa Saad. Zionist plans to expand its offensive into Gaza City come as diplomacy aimed at securing an elusive ceasefire and hostage release deal has stalled for weeks, after the latest round of negotiations broke down in July. Egypt said Tuesday it was working with fellow Gaza mediators Qatar and the United States to broker a 60-day truce 'with the release of some hostages and some Palestinian detainees, and the flow of humanitarian and medical assistance to Gaza without restrictions, without conditions'.
Hamas said early Wednesday that a senior delegation had arrived in Cairo for 'preliminary talks' with Egyptian officials. Zionist plans to expand the Gaza war have sparked international outcry as well as domestic opposition. Reserve and retired pilots who served in the Zionist air force on Tuesday rallied in Tel Aviv to demand an end to the conflict. 'This war and expansion will only cause the death of the hostages, death of more soldiers, and death of many more innocent Palestinians in Gaza,' said Guy Poran, a former air force pilot.
Dire conditions
UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Zionist entity has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 235 people including 106 children have died of hunger since the war began in October 2023, with many cases recorded in recent weeks. Netanyahu on Tuesday revived calls to 'allow' Palestinians to leave Gaza, telling broadcaster i24NEWS that 'we are not pushing them out, but we are allowing them to leave'.
Past calls to resettle Gazans outside of the war-battered territory, including from US President Donald Trump, have sparked concern among Palestinians and condemnation from the international community. October 2023 attack which triggered the war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Zionist offensive has killed at least 61,722 Palestinians, according to figures from the health ministry in Gaza which the United Nations considers reliable. — AFP
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