Gaza City, November 3, 2023 - Israeli ground troops established a tight encirclement around Gaza City on Friday in their ongoing conflict against Hamas. This development coincided with the arrival of the top U.S. diplomat, Antony Blinken, who is in Israel to focus on implementing measures aimed at reducing civilian casualties among Palestinians.

In anticipation of Mr. Blinken's visit, the Israeli military confirmed on Thursday that they had successfully "encircled" the largest city in the Palestinian territory, marking a significant shift in the nearly month-long conflict.

The current conflict was triggered by a series of violent incursions by Hamas on October 7, according to Israeli officials, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,400 people.

In response, the Gaza health ministry, under the control of Hamas, reports that over 9,000 individuals, primarily women and children, have lost their lives due to Israeli airstrikes.

Fresh Israeli airstrikes struck the Gaza Strip on Friday morning, as reported by an AFP correspondent. The Gaza health ministry confirmed at least 15 fatalities in the Zeitun neighborhood of Gaza City and seven in the Jabalia refugee camp.

The Hamas government claims that 195 individuals were killed in Israeli bombardments in Jabalia earlier this week, with hundreds more reported as missing and wounded. These figures could not be independently verified by AFP.

Before departing for his visit, Secretary of State Blinken expressed his commitment to reducing harm to Palestinian civilians, marking a noticeable shift in the United States' stance, which had previously pledged full support and increased military aid to Israel. He stated, "We will be discussing specific measures that can and should be taken to minimize harm to men, women, and children in Gaza. This is something that the United States is dedicated to."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel had achieved significant progress, with troops advancing closer to Gaza City. He made this statement late Thursday at a base near Tel Aviv, emphasizing that Gaza City is regarded as the "center of the Hamas terror organization."

Despite warnings from Israel to evacuate the northern parts of the city ahead of a ground operation, many of Gaza City's half-million residents opted to remain, enduring weeks of relentless aerial bombardments, dwindling supplies, and daily casualties.

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