The Palestinian group Islamic Jihad fired a series of rockets at Israel in an apparent show of force, while Israeli tanks advanced deeper into Gaza amidst intense fighting, according to residents and officials.
The armed wing of Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas supported by Iran, stated that its fighters launched rockets towards several Israeli settlements near the Gaza border in response to “the crimes of the Zionist enemy against our Palestinian people.”
According to the Israeli military, the barrage of about twenty rockets did not cause any casualties. However, it demonstrated that Palestinian fighters still possess rocket capabilities almost nine months after the Israeli offensive claimed to be aimed at neutralizing threats against it.
In some parts of Gaza, fighters continue to attack Israeli forces in areas the military left months ago.
On Monday, Israeli tanks deepened their incursions into the Shejaiya neighborhood in the eastern part of Gaza City for the fifth day, and tanks advanced further in western and central Rafah, in southern Gaza near the Egyptian border, residents reported.
The Israeli military stated that it killed numerous fighters in Shejaiya on Monday and found large quantities of weapons there.
Hamas claimed that in Rafah, its fighters lured Israeli forces into a house laden with mines on the eastern side of the city and then blew it up, causing casualties.
Also in Rafah, the Israeli military reported that an airstrike killed a fighter who had fired an anti-tank missile at its troops.
Israel indicated that its operation in Rafah, aimed at destroying Hamas, would soon be completed. After the intense phase of the war ends, its forces will focus on smaller-scale operations to prevent Hamas from regrouping, officials said.
Israel’s air, ground, and naval counteroffensive has so far killed nearly 38.000 people, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and left the densely populated coastal enclave in ruins.
Efforts by Arab mediators to secure a ceasefire, with the United States (U.S.) backing, have stalled. Hamas insists that any agreement must end the war and lead to Israel’s complete withdrawal from Gaza. Israel says it will only accept temporary pauses in fighting until Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, is eradicated.
