Israeli army consolidates control in northern Gaza before pushing south
Jerusalem, Nov 19 (EFE).- The Israeli army carried out overnight attacks on several targets of the Islamist group Hamas in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, before its move southwards further into the Palestinian enclave.
Israel carried out offensives in the cities of Jabalia, Beit Lahia and the Zaytun neighborhood in Gaza City, according to a statement by its military..
Israeli aircraft have intensively attacked these places, while their ground forces have increasingly more control over these cities.
The statement said that troops of the Nahal Brigade, with tanks and air support, fought Hamas agents on the outskirts of Jabalia overnight, and also carried out a drone attack on several militia hidden on a roof.
On Saturday, Israeli aircraft bombed a school in the Jabalia refugee camp, killing dozens of people, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said the school housed more than 4,000 displaced Palestinians and the victims included children.
The Israeli army also reported that Navy missile ships carried out attacks with thousands of ammunition on Hamas facilities along the Gaza coast, and also supported their ground troops.
The ground, air and sea operations of Israeli troops are helping to consolidate control of the northern half of the enclave, before it pushes to the south, as stated by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant late Saturday.
The ongoing fighting has taken the death toll in Gaza to more than 12,300, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
However, the ministry estimates that the actual deaths could exceed 16,000 taking into account the thousands of bodies under the rubble.
In the Israeli ranks, the ground offensive inside Gaza that began three weeks ago has caused 58 deaths.
The war began on Oct. 7, with a Hamas attack on Israeli soil that left more than 1,200 dead, about 350 of them soldiers.
Hamas militia also took with them more than 240 hostages, who are still held captive in the Gaza Strip, while Israeli troops have recovered the bodies of at least two. EFE
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