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Read below: Israeli attack in Gaza kills 24
GAZA/TEL AVIV, MAY 19 (IANS/DPA) — Israel continued its military operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip over the weekend, with Israeli army radio reporting on Sunday that troops had found several smuggling tunnels in the border area between Gaza and Egypt.
Tunnels were also discovered that had been used by Hamas on October 7 - the day Hamas and others massacred more than 1,200 people in Israel. Some of the tunnels have already been destroyed.
According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), around 8,00,000 people have left the city since the military operation in Rafah began around a fortnight ago.
Once again, almost half of the population of Rafah is on the streets, lamented UNRWA head Philippe Lazzarini on X on Saturday evening. Lazzarini stressed that there is no safe place for civilians in Gaza.
Once again, nearly half of the population of Rafah or 800,000 people are on the road, having been forced to flee since the Israeli Forces started the military operation in the area on 6 May.
— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) May 18, 2024
In response to evacuation orders demanding people to flee to so-called safe zones,…
The Israeli leadership believes the last remaining Hamas battalions are in Rafah, and it wants to smash them. Israel's main ally, the US, and others have repeatedly warned Israel against a large-scale attack on the city, which borders Egypt, due to the large number of civilians taking refuge there. However, Israel's leadership is sticking to its attack plans for Rafah.
Also read: Almost 4,50,000 people fled Rafah fighting in a week: UN
Israel wants to report to US President Joe Biden's security adviser Jake Sullivan the number of Palestinians who have already fled Rafah when Sullivan visits Israel on Sunday, army radio said.
Israel's figures have often differed from those presented by UNRWA, which is the subject of strong Israeli criticism.
At least 24 people have been killed in an Israeli attack in the refugee camp of Nuseirat in the central part of the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian reports.
The health authority, controlled by the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement, said on Sunday that at least 24 Palestinians were killed when a residential building was hit by an attack during the night.
Meanwhile, an Israeli army spokesman said that the report was being investigated.
Moreover, a senior member of the Hamas police and his companion have also been killed in another targeted attack by Israel in the central Gaza Strip.
At the al-Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah, further south, grieving relatives could be seen next to bodies in white bags.
Last month, the Israeli army was deployed in Nuseirat for a week and then withdrew again. Residents reported enormous destruction.
The Israeli military repeatedly speaks of operations against terrorists and terrorist infrastructure in various parts of the Gaza Strip.
The war was triggered by the unprecedented massacre of more than 1,200 people killed by militants from Hamas and other groups in Israel on October 7.
According to the health authorities, 35,386 Palestinians have been killed so far in the ensuing war, although the number, which is almost impossible to verify independently, does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.