Israeli troops bombarded various locations on Tuesday in the southern Gaza Strip, forcing thousands of Palestinians to flee their homes in what may be the last push of Israel’s aggressive military operations after nine months of conflict, Reuters reported.
Health officials reported eight Palestinian deaths and many more injuries. Israel’s military reported two troops were killed the day before.
Israel’s leaders have stated that they are nearing the end of their battle against Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007, and would shortly transition to more focused operations.
Later on Tuesday, 17 Palestinians were killed when an Israeli tank shelled a street in Gaza City’s densely populated Zeitoun neighborhood, in the North of the Strip, according to doctors.
Some Palestinian social media footage showed the scene at a neighborhood market, with bread scattered on a blood-stained floor.
On Monday, the Israeli army ordered inhabitants of numerous towns and villages in the eastern area of Khan Younis to vacate their houses before tanks returned to the region that they had abandoned some weeks before.
The Israeli military claimed its forces had attacked locations in Khan Younis from which about 20 rockets were fired on Monday.
The report stated that before the attacks, precautions were made to safeguard people’s safety by allowing them to depart the area, alluding to the evacuation orders.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel’s retaliatory onslaught has killed approximately 38,000 Palestinians and destroyed the densely populated coastal territory.