5 days ago
‘Fire belt' strikes: Israel pounds Beit Hanoun in one of war's heaviest attacks - War on Gaza
Israeli occupation forces launched dozens of simultaneous airstrikes on the northern Gaza city of Beit Hanoun on Sunday, in what WAFA news agency described as one of the most intense 'fire belt' assaults since the war on Gaza began on 7 October 2023.
The coordinated strikes lit up the night sky over Beit Hanoun, reducing large parts of the already-devastated city to flames and rubble, as explosions echoed across the northern Gaza Strip.
Beit Hanoun—already forcibly evacuated months ago under heavy bombardment—appeared to burn in isolation. Explosions were reportedly heard as far away as Gaza City and in central and southern areas of the Strip.
"The Israeli occupation has already reduced Beit Hanoun to rubble over the past few months. Tonight, they set that ruin ablaze with a wave of strikes we've never seen before," said Ahmed Riyad, a member of the Popular Committee in Beit Lahia, just north of Beit Hanoun, speaking to Anadolu Agency.
"Flames are rising from every corner of the town. We can see the fires—not just the smoke—from several kilometres away, even from northern Gaza City," he added.
'Everything in the shattered city is flashing. Black smoke almost completely blankets the sky overhead,' Riyad continued.
He described the bombardment as so intense that the ground shook in nearby areas.
'Beit Hanoun has effectively been wiped off the map,' he said. 'What remains are piles of debris from destroyed homes and infrastructure.'
On Friday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant posted an aerial image of Beit Hanoun, claiming the town had been 'flattened.' The image showed expanses of rubble and the skeletal remains of buildings.
It was released amid growing international condemnation of Israel's conduct in Gaza, with increasing allegations of genocide and scorched-earth tactics against civilians and vital infrastructure—acts widely seen as violations of international humanitarian law.
Before the war, Beit Hanoun was home to around 60,000 Palestinians, according to municipal figures. The town spans approximately 17,000 dunams (roughly 17 square kilometres).
Ceasefire talks falter as offensive threatens to expand
Ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas remained deadlocked over the weekend, with both sides accusing the other of blocking efforts to halt the 21-month war on Gaza.
A Palestinian source familiar with the Qatar-hosted indirect talks told AFP that Israel's insistence on keeping troops in the Strip was holding up a potential 60-day pause in fighting.
But a senior Israeli official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, accused Hamas of inflexibility and of deliberately undermining a possible agreement.
On Sunday, Israeli political sources said the government could order a renewed ground offensive in central Gaza if talks in Doha collapse.
According to Israel's Walla news site, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly leaning toward intensifying military pressure on Hamas by shifting operations southwards—from northern Gaza to the centre of the Strip. The move would reportedly include efforts to push civilians further south and encircle key refugee camps, including Deir al-Balah.
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