With Gaza under a total communications outage, it is difficult to confirm the Israeli army’s announcement.

Israel’s military has claimed it has encircled Gaza City and divided the besieged coastal strip into two, as Gaza came under its third total communications outage since the start of the war.

“Today, there is north Gaza and south Gaza,” Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters on Sunday, calling it a “significant stage” in Israel’s war against Hamas.

Israeli media reported that troops are expected to enter Gaza City within 48 hours. Strong explosions were seen in northern Gaza after nightfall.

But the “collapse in connectivity” across Gaza reported by internet access advocacy group NetBlocks.org and confirmed by the Palestinian telecom company Paltel made it even more complicated to convey details of the new stage of the military offensive.

  • floofloof@lemmy.caEnglish
    3510·
    1 year ago

    Earlier on Sunday, Israeli warplanes struck two central Gaza refugee camps, killing at least 53 people and wounding dozens, health officials said.

    Israel said it would press on with its offensive against Hamas, despite US appeals for even brief pauses to get aid to desperate civilians.

    The Palestinian health ministry said more than 9,700 Palestinians have been killed in the territory in nearly a month of war, more than 4,000 of them children. That toll likely will rise as Israeli troops advance into dense, urban neighbourhoods.

    Air strikes hit the Maghazi refugee camp overnight, killing at least 40 people and wounding 34 others, the health ministry said.

    The camp is in the zone where Israel’s military had urged Palestinian civilians to seek refuge.

    Every day more of this. Israel clearly doesn’t care about civilians and children and will kill anyone it feels like killing.

    • Annoyed_🦀 @monyet.ccEnglish
      186·
      1 year ago

      There’s a survivor account translated by Electronic Intifada(mediabiasfactcheck rated them left bias, pro-palestine, mostly factual but not high due to no transparency on their funding, pinch of salt applies) saying IDF, in their effort to kill Hamas combatant, killed israeli held hostaged by Hamas in Be’eri in heavy crossfire, and also shelled the home to eliminate any hiding combatant.

      There’s also an interview with IDF soldier on the front line that day, as reported by Gray Zone(extreme left, mixed fact, highly opinionated, kilogram of salt applies. They do quote their source though), saying they just shoot at suspected Hamas vehicle to prevent escape, knowing there’s a chance Israeli hostages is in it.

      Their action in a month checks out with the account on the first few day of battle in Israel, as they bomb the tunnel, disregard the safety of the hostage they’re trying so hard to “rescue”, that the hostage might get crushed from the collapsing tunnel. They don’t care about collateral damage at all, and i fear the hostages that got killed from the ground assault will be pinned on Hamas.

      • Corkyskog@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        151·
        1 year ago

        It seems Hamas way overestimated how much compassion Israelis would have for hostages, journalists, or innocent children…

        • Annoyed_🦀 @monyet.ccEnglish
          154·
          1 year ago

          It’s a serious miscalculation. IDF has been show not giving a fuck about collateral damage. They shot children to disperse riot. They snipe children and tell the world the kids are armed. They murder journalist then blame it on Hamas.

          According to the survivor account, Hamas purposefully inform the police and wait for them to come, instead of retreat with the hostage. They really thought they can talk it off with the police and IDF but they really don’t know their enemy at all.

          • floofloof@lemmy.caEnglish
            156·
            1 year ago

            Let’s not call it “collateral damage” when it’s deliberately shooting or bombing children or other civilians. The term “collateral damage” was the US military’s euphemism for supposedly accidental killing of civilians. The IDF doesn’t even care to make it look accidental.