Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes on Gaza City, witnesses told Reuters, shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the military to launch “powerful” attacks on the enclave.
The strikes targeted areas around Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, while artillery shelling hit the eastern outskirts of Deir al-Balah in the central part of the Strip.
According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, Israel informed the United States of its intention to carry out an offensive in Gaza following the recent incident in Rafah.
The outlet also reported that Israeli leadership has decided to expand the area it controls inside the Strip as part of what it described as a “military redeployment.”
It added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is coordinating with the U.S. administration regarding the decision to extend Israel’s control in Gaza, without providing further details on the nature or timing of the planned operations.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Hamas would “pay a heavy price” for attacking Israeli soldiers and violating the agreement, stressing that Israel “will respond with overwhelming force to what he called a blatant crossing of a red line.”
The strikes targeted areas around Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, while artillery shelling hit the eastern outskirts of Deir al-Balah in the central part of the Strip.
According to the Israeli Broadcasting Authority, Israel informed the United States of its intention to carry out an offensive in Gaza following the recent incident in Rafah.
The outlet also reported that Israeli leadership has decided to expand the area it controls inside the Strip as part of what it described as a “military redeployment.”
It added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is coordinating with the U.S. administration regarding the decision to extend Israel’s control in Gaza, without providing further details on the nature or timing of the planned operations.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Hamas would “pay a heavy price” for attacking Israeli soldiers and violating the agreement, stressing that Israel “will respond with overwhelming force to what he called a blatant crossing of a red line.”
