The Israeli military announced that it had launched "targeted ground operations" in the central and southern parts of the Gaza Strip today, a day after heavy air strikes on the Palestinian territory.
The Civil Defense in the Gaza Strip announced this morning that 13 people were killed in new Israeli strikes on the territory carried out after midnight.
As Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Bassal told Agence France-Presse, Israel carried out several airstrikes that killed 13 people and wounded dozens, including women and children, in Khan Younes, in the south of the territory, and in Gaza City.
Israel, determined to force Hamas to accept the release of more hostages, launched heavy strikes yesterday, the heaviest since the ceasefire came into effect on January 19.
This ceasefire was achieved with the mediation of Qatar and the assistance of the US and Egypt, after more than 15 months of war triggered by the incursion of Hamas militants into Israeli territory on October 7, 2023.
More than 400 people were killed in yesterday's Israeli strikes, and according to the Hamas Ministry of Health in Gaza, it was one of the most difficult days in terms of the number of casualties in that war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned last night that the strikes were just the beginning, and stressed that military pressure was necessary to secure the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas and its allied armed groups in Gaza.
National Security Minister Itmar Ben Gvir, a far-right figure who resigned in January in protest over the ceasefire with Hamas, announced yesterday that he was returning to the government after reaching an agreement with Likud, the right-wing party led by Netanyahu.
The Israeli government last night unanimously approved Benjamin Netanyahu's proposal to return Ben Gvir to the government as Minister of National Security, the Prime Minister's Office announced this morning.
When he resigned, Ben Gwir cited the "scandalous" ceasefire agreement with Hamas, which came into effect on January 19th, as the reason.
(BETA)
More than 400 Palestinians killed in wave of Israeli attacks yesterday
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