Israel will launch an « larger » offensive in Gaza if the hostages are not released, says the chief of his army – Liberation
Israel threatened, this Thursday, April 24, to launch an offensive « Larger » in Gaza if The hostages were not released From the Palestinian territory, where at least 55 people, including children, were killed in Israeli bombings, according to Palestinian sources.
Breaking a truce of almost two months in the war launched over a year and a half ago, Israel resumed on March 18 its air offensive and then earthly against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip. « If we do not see any progress in the return of hostages in the near future, we will extend our activities to a larger operation »said Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir during a visit to the Israeli troops in the besieged territory. The war was launched on October 7, 2023 by an unprecedented attack by Hamas in Israel, during which more than 250 people were removed and taken to Gaza.
Earlier Thursday, the army called the inhabitants of the localities of Beit Hanoun and Cheikh Zayed, in the north of the Gaza Strip, to evacuate before « A powerful strike »targeting an area accused of shelter « Snipers and terrorist activities ». Civil defense and Palestinian hospital sources have reported their side of 55 dead since the start of the day. The Indonesian hospital in Jabalia said that he had received the bodies of nine victims after a strike on a police station in this northern city.
The Israeli army confirmed that it had struck in the sector, specifying that it was targeting « Terrorists operating in a command and control center for Hamas and Islamic Jihad »an allied group. « The bombing was extremely intense and shook the whole area »explained a witness, Abdel Qader Sabah, to AFP. « Everyone started running and screaming. »
Another bombing on a house in the north of the city of Gaza (North) killed a family of six people, a couple and their four children, said civil defense. « Destruction spares no one »lamented the cousin of the father, Nidal al-Sarafiti, with AFP. Several other strikes have killed at least 40 people elsewhere, including 12 in a family home in Jabalia.
Images of AFP shot in a house affected in Khan Younès (South) show people turning off the flames and others inspecting rubble in the light of torches.
« We were sitting in peace when the missile fell »said a witness, Mohammed Faris. Bodies were lying to the ground, including a young woman and a boy, in mortuary covers, surrounded by tears, kissing and caressing their faces. « Her children and she was killed and reduced to pieces »laments Rania al-Jumla, evoking her sister killed in the bombing. « We can’t take it anymore. Every day is death. «
