Amid UN appeals for uninterrupted aid, Israel raids central Gaza. The Israeli army announced on Friday that it had conducted a nighttime strike targeting the central Gaza Strip as part of its preparations for a ground invasion by Israeli ground forces supported by fighter jets and drones.
In a statement released by the Israeli army, it says that during the most recent day, ground forces of the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) conducted another targeted raid in the central Gaza Strip, accompanied by fighter jets and unmanned aerial vehicles.
During the course of the operation, the IDF identified and struck a number of terror targets, including antitank missile launch sites, command and control centers, as well as Hamas terrorists, the statement said, adding that troops “exited the area once the activity was over”.
Immediately after the strikes, a thick cloud of dust billowed into the sky as a column of armoured vehicles appeared in black-and-white footage released by the military.
A similar ground operation in the northern part of the Palestinian territory was conducted by the army the night before using tanks and infantry.
Israel has launched another round of incursions this week after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained earlier this week that Israel is preparing to launch a ground offensive at any time.
UN calls for Gaza aid to be provided ‘uninterrupted’
In a later development of the day, a UN official called for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to be resolved as soon as possible after nearly three weeks of Israeli bombing in response to Hamas attacks in the besieged Palestinian territory today, which have triggered a humanitarian crisis.
There is an urgent need for “meaningful and uninterrupted” aid to enter the Gaza Strip, said Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general for UNRWA, the agency for Palestinian refugees. He described the trickle of aid entering the Gaza Strip as “crumbs”.
During a press conference in Jerusalem, Lazzarini told reporters that the current humanitarian aid system is geared to fail and needs to be replaced with a system that flows meaningful and uninterrupted aid to the people in need. “We need a humanitarian ceasefire to ensure this aid reaches those who need it the most,” Lazzarini said.
“Humanitarian corridors and pauses” is the title of the book
In a separate development, European Union (EU) leaders have urged the Israeli military to halt its war against Hamas and allow humanitarian corridors and pauses to allow for aid to reach civilians trapped in Gaza, where the United Nations (UN) says there is nowhere safe for civilians.
It was late Thursday night and EU leaders urged all necessary measures to be taken so humanitarian assistance and access can reach those in need, including humanitarian corridors and pauses for humanitarian needs if necessary, in order to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches their needs.
Hundreds of Hamas gunmen pouring from Gaza into Israel were reported by Israeli officials to have killed nearly 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped 224 others after they attacked Israel on October 7.
The Gaza Health Ministry reports that more than 7,000 Palestinians, including over 3,000 children, have been martyred as a result of Israeli air and artillery strikes in retaliation to those strikes.
During the last eight years, Israel has suffered a significant amount of deaths in Gaza, more than any other time since it unilaterally withdrawn from the Palestinian territory in 2005, resulting in increasing calls for the protection of innocents caught in the conflict, as well as humanitarian aid being delivered to those who need it most.
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