Intense battles erupted in northern Gaza City’s Shujayea neighborhood as Palestinian fighters clashed with Israeli forces, causing tens of thousands of terrified civilians to flee.
Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for blowing up a booby-trapped residential building in Shujayea, resulting in the death of four Israeli soldiers and injuries to five others.
The improvised explosive device used was a recovered undetonated F-16 missile, originally fired from an Israeli warplane.
Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, also reported engaging in violent clashes, causing casualties through attacks with anti-tank rockets and small-arms fire.
Israeli forces launched heavy air and artillery attacks, sending armored vehicles into northern Gaza, following their withdrawal in January, claiming Hamas had been dismantled in the area.
Palestinian civilians are fleeing on foot, carrying minimal belongings through the rubble-filled streets amidst scorching summer temperatures. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated that Israel displaced over 60,000 people from Gaza City since Thursday.
While there was no immediate official confirmation of soldiers’ deaths in Shujayea, Israel’s military reported one soldier killed and nine wounded in clashes across Gaza in the past 24 hours.
Rafah battles ongoing
Ground operations, supported by air raids, are ongoing in northern Gaza, resulting in the deaths of numerous fighters, as stated by the army on Friday. The heavy fighting continues despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggesting a winding down of the “intense phase” of the war.
Soldiers have initiated targeted raids in Shujayea based on intelligence indicating the presence of terrorists and terrorist infrastructure in the area, marking the first detailed action…
Article from www.aljazeera.com