Israeli forces carried out new military strikes in the southern city of Rafah amid fierce fighting with Palestinian militants overnight, residents said. At least 12 people were killed in new strikes in central and northern Gaza, health officials said.
Hamas' armed wing said it had shelled two Israeli tanks in a neighbourhood west of Rafah and fired mortar bombs at Israeli forces attacking Shejaia, an eastern suburb of Gaza City in the centre of the territory. Deir Al-Balah is crowded with hundreds of thousands of people forced to flee homes elsewhere in Gaza, and residents complain of acute shortages of drinking water and inflated prices for basic foodstuff.
The offensive launched by Israel in retaliation to try to eliminate Hamas has killed nearly 38,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry, and has left the heavily built-up coastal territory in ruins.While the United States has maintained its strong support for Israel throughout the war, President Joe Biden has on some occasions expressed concerns about Israel's conduct.
Khan Younis residents said a lack of designated shelters meant many families had slept on the road because they could not find tents after Israeli army evacuation orders led to the displacement of thousands of people living east of the city. He wrote on X that the Nasser Medical Complex was now at full capacity and"has a shortage of medical supplies and drugs for surgery."A dozen former US government officials who quit over US support for Israel's war in Gaza have accused President Biden's administration of"undeniable complicity" in the killing of Palestinians in the enclave.