CAIRO: Israeli forces pounded several areas across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, killing at least 30 Palestinians, according to health officials, as tanks advanced deeper into western and northern Rafah.
Among those killed on Saturday were local journalist Mohammad Abu Jasser, his wife, and two children, in an Israeli strike on their house in the northern Gaza Strip, a medic said.
Gaza's government media office said Abu Jasser's death raised to 161 the number of Palestinian media personnel killed by Israeli fire since Oct 7.
Israeli military strikes across Gaza killed 37 Palestinians in the past 24 hours and destroyed several houses. In Al-Nuseirat camp in central Gaza Strip, an air strike on a multi-floor building, wounded several people, including two local journalists, rescue workers said.
In Rafah, where Israel said it aimed to dismantle the last battalions of Palestinian Hamas' armed wing, residents said tanks advanced deeper into northern areas of the city and took control of a hilltop in the west, amid fierce gun battles with gunmen.
The army said troops continued operations in Rafah, eliminating many gunmen over the past day in the area of Tel Al-Sultan on the western side of the city. In Central Gaza, the military said it conducted raids on groups' infrastructure.
The military also said it hit a structure used by Palestinian gunmen in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza Strip, saying they were operating from a humanitarian area, and accused Gaza fighters of exploiting civilian structure and population for military purposes, an allegation Hamas and other Palestinian groups reject as false to justify such attacks.
A ceasefire effort led by Qatar and Egypt and backed by the United States has so far failed due to disputes between the combatants, who blame each other for the impasse.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday a long-sought ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas was within sight, saying negotiators were "driving toward the goal line."
Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas after its Palestinian fighters killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 captives in an Oct. 7 attack, according to Israeli tallies. At least 38,919 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory offensive since then, Gaza health authorities say.
On Tuesday, Israel said it had eliminated half the leadership of Hamas' military wing and killed or captured about 14,000 fighters since the start of the war. Israel says 326 of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza. Hamas does not release casualty figures and said Israel exaggerates its reports to give the impression of a "fake victory". — Reuters
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