On Friday morning, Israeli airstrikes hit a three-story house in Al-Manara neighborhood of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, leading to the deaths of at least 17 Palestinians and injuring others. The attack coincided with the deployment of extra ground troops into the region to boost the fight against Hamas.
Rescue teams worked for hours to search the wreckage for survivors, following a day in which Israeli strikes killed at least 100 Palestinians. Over the past two weeks, as Israel escalated military actions, the death toll has climbed significantly, attempting to push Hamas to release hostages captured during their October 2023 attack on Israel.
Israel initiated ground operations in northern Gaza to expand its security zone. Before the operations, there were evacuation orders for certain northern Gaza areas. The UN humanitarian office reports that around 280,000 Palestinians have been displaced since the end of a ceasefire with Hamas last month.
Israel aims to seize a significant portion of Palestinian territory to establish a security corridor. To pressure Hamas, Israel has maintained a month-long blockade on necessary goods, leading to severe shortages for civilians – a move human rights organizations label as a war crime.
Though Israel claims sufficient food has entered Gaza during a six-week truce to sustain its 2 million residents, Hamas insists on releasing more Palestinian prisoners, achieving a permanent ceasefire, and seeing an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for the remaining 59 hostages.
Friday’s strike targeted a three-story building, causing fatalities and injuries to 16 people from one family. Journalists observed the grim recovery of bodies and the search for survivors among the debris.
On Thursday, hospital staff handled over 30 bodies, including women and children, from the area. Also on Friday, Israel announced the murder of a senior Hamas commander, Hassan Farhat, in a strike in Sidon, Lebanon.
Israel has reportedly increased its military efforts, nearly multiplying the number of airstrikes and severing connections between northern and southern Gaza. The conflict, which began with a Hamas-led assault on southern Israel, has resulted in 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages. Israel rescued eight hostages and claims to have killed about 20,000 militants.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 50,000 deaths from Israel’s military actions, with more than half being women and children. Israel asserts these figures include both civilians and combatants without providing concrete numbers for each. The war has significantly displaced Gazans, affecting about 90% of the population at its peak.
Source: http://www.africanews.com/2025/04/05/gaza-israeli-forces-expand-operations-amidst-escalating-casualties-in-khan-younis/
