Israeli Operation Killed 51 In Southern Gaza, Palestinian Officials Say | rssama.com

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel launched crushed operations and carried retired airstrikes successful a hard-hit metropolis successful confederate Gaza overnight, sidesplitting astatine slightest 51 people, including women and children, Palestinian aesculapian officials said Wednesday.

Israel has continued to onslaught what it says are militant targets crossed Gaza astir a twelvemonth aft Hamas’ Oct. 7 onslaught ignited nan war successful nan Palestinian territory, and moreover arsenic attraction has shifted to Lebanon and Iran. Israeli crushed troops person carried retired incursions into Lebanon against Hezbollah, and Tehran fired a barrage of ballistic missiles connected Israel precocious Tuesday.

Hezbollah said its fighters fought pinch Israeli troops successful nan Lebanese separator municipality of Odaisseh, forcing nan troops to retreat.

There was nary contiguous remark from nan Israeli subject aliases independent confirmation of nan fighting, which would people nan first crushed combat since Israeli troops crossed nan separator this week. Israeli media reported infantry and vessel units operating successful confederate Lebanon aft nan subject sent thousands of further troops and artillery to nan border.

The subject has warned group successful astir 50 villages and towns to evacuate. Hundreds of thousands person already fled their homes arsenic nan conflict has intensified.

The crushed operations successful Lebanon person raised fears of a wider warfare successful nan Middle East that could tie successful Iran and nan United States, which has rushed subject assets to nan region successful support of Israel. Hezbollah, wide seen arsenic nan astir powerful equipped group successful nan region, and Hamas are some backed by Tehran.

Israel besides lashed retired astatine nan United Nations connected Wednesday, declaring Secretary-General António Guterres persona non grata, aliases banned from entering nan country. Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused him of failing to unequivocally condemn nan Iranian attack.

Guterres had released a little connection aft nan barrage that read: “I condemn nan broadening of nan Middle East conflict, pinch escalation aft escalation. This must stop. We perfectly request a cease-fire.”

The Health Ministry successful Gaza said astatine slightest 51 group were killed and 82 wounded successful nan cognition successful Khan Younis that began early Wednesday. Records astatine nan European Hospital show that 7 women and 12 children, arsenic young arsenic 22 months old, were among those killed.

Another 23 people, including 2 children, were killed successful abstracted strikes crossed Gaza, according to section hospitals.

The Israeli subject did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Residents said Israel had carried retired dense airstrikes arsenic its crushed forces staged an incursion into 3 neighborhoods successful Khan Younis. Mahmoud al-Razd, a resident who said 4 relatives were killed successful nan raids, described dense demolition and said first responders had struggled to scope destroyed homes.

“The explosions and shelling were massive,” he told The Associated Press. “Many group are thought to beryllium nether nan rubble, and nary 1 tin retrieve them.”

Israel carried retired a weekslong violative earlier this twelvemonth successful Khan Younis that near overmuch of Gaza’s 2nd largest metropolis successful ruins. Over nan people of nan war, Israeli forces person many times returned to areas of Gaza arsenic militants person regrouped.

On Oct. 7, Hamas-led militants killed immoderate 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took astir 250 hostage. Some 100 person not yet been released, astir 65 of whom are believed to beryllium alive.

Israel’s retaliatory violative has killed complete 41,000 Palestinians, according to section wellness authorities, who do not opportunity really galore were fighters but opportunity a small much than half were women and children. The subject says it has killed complete 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

Iran launched astatine slightest 180 missiles into Israel connected Tuesday successful what it said was retaliation for a bid of devastating blows Israel has landed successful caller weeks against Hezbollah, which has been firing rockets into Israel since the warfare successful Gaza began successful solidarity pinch Hamas.

Israelis scrambled for explosive shelters arsenic aerial ambush sirens sounded and nan orangish glow of missiles streaked crossed nan nighttime sky.

The Israeli subject said it intercepted galore of nan incoming Iranian missiles, though immoderate landed successful cardinal and confederate Israel and 2 group were lightly wounded by shrapnel.

Several missiles landed successful nan Israeli-occupied West Bank, wherever 1 of them killed a Palestinian worker from Gaza who had been stranded successful nan territory since nan warfare collapsed out.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate, saying Iran “made a large correction coming and it will salary for it.”

U.S. President Joe Biden said his management is “fully supportive” of Israel and that he’s successful “active discussion” pinch aides astir what nan due consequence should be.

Iran said it would respond to immoderate usurpation of its sovereignty pinch moreover heavier strikes connected Israeli infrastructure.

The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency gathering for Wednesday greeting to reside nan escalating business successful nan Middle East.

Israel is meantime carrying retired what it says are constricted crushed incursions into confederate Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes and artillery person been pounding confederate Lebanon arsenic Hezbollah fires dozens of rockets, missiles and drones into Israel, wherever location person been fewer casualties.

Israel has said it will proceed to onslaught Hezbollah until it is safe for tens of thousands of its citizens displaced from homes adjacent nan Lebanon separator to return. Hezbollah has vowed to support firing rockets into Israel until location is simply a cease-fire successful Gaza pinch Hamas.

Israel has warned group successful confederate Lebanon to evacuate to nan northbound of nan Awali River, immoderate 60 kilometers (36 miles) from nan separator and overmuch farther than nan Litani River, which marks nan bluish separator of a U.N.-declared zone intended to service arsenic a buffer betwixt Israel and Hezbollah aft their 2006 war. The separator region has mostly emptied retired complete nan past twelvemonth arsenic nan 2 sides person traded fire.

Israeli strikes person killed complete 1,000 group successful Lebanon complete nan past 2 weeks, astir a 4th of them women and children, according to nan Health Ministry.

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Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Kareem Chehayeb successful Beirut and Melanie Lidman successful Tel Aviv, Israel contributed.

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