Israel’s military forces have begun ground incursions into the Gaza Strip, the army said. “In the last 24 hours, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) carried out raids against specific locations within the territory of the Gaza Strip (…) to clear the area of terrorists and weapons”indicated a military statement, adding that these operations were also intended to “locate missing people.”
The soldiers also “dismantled terrorist cells and infrastructure,” including a “Hamas cell that fired anti-tank missiles in the direction” of Israel, the statement said.
In this framework, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterresis in permanent contact with the Israeli authorities, whom it has urged to “avoid a humanitarian catastrophe”, The UN spokesman said in a briefing on Friday, Stephane Dujarric.
Dujarric said it is vital that Israeli authorities protect all civilians, including in UN shelters in Gaza. At the moment no aid is entering the enclave, as the border crossings remain closed, he added.
The Israeli army has been bombing the Palestinian enclave since Saturday, in response to the offensive launched by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas by land, sea and air against Israel. More than 1,300 people have been killed in Israel since then, most of them civilians, and about 150 were kidnapped by Hamas, according to the army.
In Gaza, a territory of 362 km2 where more than 2 million people live, more than 1,800 people have died so far, including 583 children, according to authorities.
Thousands of Palestinians fled the north of the Strip this Friday, after Israel called on them to evacuate the area before a possible ground operation.
A journalist from the Reuters agency died in southern Lebanon
A Reuters journalist died this Friday in southern Lebanon while covering exchanges of fire on the border with Israel.
“We are deeply saddened to learn that our cameraman, Issam Abdallah, has been murdered”the press agency stated in a statement, adding that, “he was part of a Reuters team in southern Lebanon.”
White House: we do not detect “specific” threat against the US after Hamas attack
The US intelligence services have not detected any “specific” threat against the United States following the massive attack by the Palestinian group Hamas against Israel six days ago, a White House spokesperson reported this Friday.
“That said, we remain vigilant to any and all potential threats,” especially against the Jewish and Muslim communities in the United States, said the spokesman for the National Security Council, John Kirby.
In this context, it was learned that the first charter flight to evacuate Americans left Israel for Europe. Other flights will follow “as long as there is demand from US citizens”Kirby said.
At least 27 Americans have been killed and others kidnapped by the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas following Saturday’s attack on Israel. In addition, 14 Americans are missing, without it being known if any of them are being held hostage.
Source: Ambito
