The Israeli aggression across the Gaza Strip significantly escalated in the past 24 hours despite international warnings, the media office in the enclave said on Friday.
“The occupying army (Israel) dismisses all international demands and escalates its aggression in various areas of the Gaza Strip,” Salama Maarouf, head of the media office, said in a statement.
“All areas of the Gaza Strip have been subjected to a clear Israeli escalation over the past 24 hours,” he added.
He continued: "Israeli military vehicles continued their incursion east of Rafah, Khan Younis, Nuseira, Al Mughraqa, and the Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, which has been witnessing military incursions for two days, as well as the northern outskirts of Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun.”
Maarouf pointed out that this escalation comes amid expected Israeli military operations in Rafah and coincides with ongoing international warnings against any aggression in Rafah and its humanitarian repercussions.
On Thursday, the Israeli army started a military operation in the Zaytoun neighborhood.
Israeli forces have been continuing their military attacks in the eastern areas of Rafah city in southern Gaza Strip since Monday, leading to the displacement of more than 100,000 Palestinians from these areas to the southwestern part of the Strip.
Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip in retaliation for a Hamas attack last Oct. 7, which killed 1,200 people. More than 34,900 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, and over 78,500 others injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Over seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is "plausible" that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.
