GAZA - On Tuesday, July 16, Israeli forces engaged in fierce battles with Hamas-led fighters across various regions of the Gaza Strip. Palestinian health officials confirmed that at least 17 people lost their lives due to Israeli airstrikes targeting southern and central Gaza.
Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist militant group, accused Israel of intensifying attacks in an effort to disrupt ceasefire negotiations mediated by Arab nations and the United States. Israel stated that its actions are focused on eliminating Hamas fighters.
In Rafah, a southern border city where Israeli forces have been active since May, five Palestinians died in an airstrike on a residential house. Nearby in Khan Younis, a family—comprising a man, his wife, and their two children—was killed.
In the historic Nuseirat camp located in central Gaza, separate shelling and aerial strikes resulted in the deaths of at least four Palestinians, according to medical sources. Additionally, an Israeli airstrike claimed the lives of four individuals in Sheikh Zayed, northern Gaza.
The Israeli military reported that its troops continued "intelligence-based" operations in Rafah, targeting militants, tunnels, and other Hamas military installations through airstrikes. The Israeli air force claimed to have struck approximately 40 targets across the Gaza Strip, including sniper and observation posts, military facilities, and buildings rigged with explosives.
Hamas and its ally, Islamic Jihad, asserted that their fighters had attacked Israeli forces in several areas using anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs. Islamic Jihad's armed wing reported launching missiles at Sderot in southern Israel, although there were no reports of casualties or significant damage.
Israel has vowed to eradicate Hamas after its militants killed 1,200 people and took over 250 hostages in an assault on southern Israeli communities on October 7th, according to Israeli records. Health authorities in Gaza report that over 38,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory operations, which have devastated much of the region. Additionally, Israel states that 326 of its soldiers have died in the conflict.
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