Israeli armored personnel carriers drive on a street at an undisclosed location on the border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. Multiple million individuals have been displaced within the Gaza Strip within the final week, the UN mentioned, after per week of Israeli bombardment and warnings a couple of floor assault in opposition to Hamas commanders.
Menahem Kahana/AFP through Getty Photos
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Menahem Kahana/AFP through Getty Photos
Israeli armored personnel carriers drive on a street at an undisclosed location on the border with the Gaza Strip on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. Multiple million individuals have been displaced within the Gaza Strip within the final week, the UN mentioned, after per week of Israeli bombardment and warnings a couple of floor assault in opposition to Hamas commanders.
Menahem Kahana/AFP through Getty Photos
JERUSALEM — Israel Protection Forces mentioned Sunday they have been “in formation” to strike Gaza Metropolis, as troops massed on the border prepared for an obvious floor invasion.
Israeli army spokesperson Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus mentioned that northern Gaza would be the heart of Israel’s subsequent counterattack in an effort to strike Hamas leaders.
“Gaza Metropolis is the place the main target and the hub of Hamas actions are, that’s the place many of the commanders are, most of their infrastructure and their capacity to proceed to function,” Conricus mentioned Saturday night time.
He added that troops are “in formation” surrounding the Gaza Strip for the subsequent stage of operations.
It comes as a second U.S. service strike group — the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower service strike group — has been ordered to start transferring into the Japanese Mediterranean Sea in assist of Israel, Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Saturday.
The Israeli army mentioned on Sunday it could proceed to permit Gazans to evacuate south and tons of of 1000’s had already moved. On Friday, 1.1 million individuals dwelling within the north of Gaza have been informed to to evacuate inside 24 hours.
The IDF on Sunday once more urged Gaza residents to maneuver from the northern a part of Gaza to the south and mentioned that it could not perform any operations alongside the evacuation route throughout a three-hour interval noon.
“Be assured, Hamas leaders have already ensured their security and that of their households,” the IDF mentioned in its assertion.
The Israeli army said it received a report from a Gaza resident that Hamas had confiscated residents’ private belongings with a view to forestall them from evacuating.
Medics in Gaza warned on Sunday that 1000’s might die if hospitals run out of gasoline and primary provides. Water and electrical energy are scarce.
Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed a minimum of 2,329 Palestinians, with greater than 9,714 wounded, the Gaza Well being Ministry introduced, and a million individuals had reportedly left their houses.
The IDF has mentioned that the variety of confirmed Israeli hostages being held in Gaza is 126. Hamas has beforehand claimed that 13 hostages have been killed inside Gaza by Israeli airstrikes. It mentioned there have been foreigners amongst those that died, with out specifying their nationalities.
Israel has launched an enormous response to the lethal assault launched on Oct. 7 by Hamas militants that left greater than 1,300 individuals lifeless in southern Israel, together with 29 U.S. residents.
An Israeli soldier runs in entrance of a tank with an Israeli flag on the highest in a staging space close to the Israeli border with Lebanon, on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023.
Petros Giannakouris/AP
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Petros Giannakouris/AP
An Israeli soldier runs in entrance of a tank with an Israeli flag on the highest in a staging space close to the Israeli border with Lebanon, on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023.
Petros Giannakouris/AP
The Israeli army additionally mentioned on Sunday that a minimum of 286 of its troopers have been killed prior to now week.
As well as, a minimum of 55 individuals have been reported killed within the West Financial institution, with greater than 1,200 wounded, the Palestinian Ministry of International Affairs and Expatriates announced.
The IDF mentioned Sunday that nine rockets were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory and that the Israeli army struck the positioning the place the assault originated.
NPR Information contacted Gaza resident Haneen Okal on Saturday, who was caught on the Rafah gate within the South of Gaza.
“Plenty of individuals are ready right here in entrance of the Palestinian gate. All of them are ready to get out of right here, however the Palestinians will not be right here to open the gate and the Egyptians will not be there but too from the Egyptian facet. So we’re all ready, what is going on to occur? No one has any info.” she mentioned.
Pope Francis said in a post on X (previously Twitter) that he was following “with nice sorrow” the newest developments within the battle between Israel and Palestine.
“I renew my attraction for the liberating of the hostages and I strongly ask that youngsters, the sick, the aged, girls, and all civilians not be made victims of the battle,” he mentioned.
Peter Kenyon reported from Jerusalem and Juliana Kim and Joe Hernandez reported from Washington, D.C.