The death toll in Gaza continues to climb from Israeli attacks with a further 112 Palestinians reported killed and 148 injured between Thursday and Friday afternoon, while 75 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million population are displaced and face shortages of food, water, medicine, as well as shelter.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) also reports that the UN children’s fund (UNICEF) estimates that almost all of Gaza’s 1.2 million children are now in need of mental health support.
Among the deadliest single attacks by Israeli forces in recent days was on Wednesday when four people, including a child, were killed when a civilian car and a cart came under attack as they travelled between Khan Younis and Rafah.
Meanwhile, Hamas’ armed wing has announced the killing of 15 Israeli soldiers, the destruction of two armoured vehicles, and the targeting of four tanks in besieged Gaza.
In separate statements, the Al Qassam Brigades claimed its members “managed to eliminate 15 Zionist soldiers at point-blank in al Jawazat area in the western Gaza City.”
“We destroyed an Israeli armoured vehicle with a Yassin missile in the al Jawazat area in the city of Gaza, and another in the city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip,” stated the armed wing.
The statement continued: “We targeted four Israeli tanks of the Merkava type in Khan Younis city and northern Gaza with Yassin 105 shells and improvised explosive devices.”
The group added: “We shelled occupying forces infiltrating the university area in western Gaza with mortar shells.”
There has been no immediate response from the Israeli military regarding the Al Qassam Brigades’ statements.
