Smoke rises from the Israel-Gaza border after an explosion in Gaza, 1 of 3, amid Israel-Hamas clashes, August 28, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen
CAIRO, Aug 28 (Reuters) – Israeli forces deployed tanks deep into Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, killing at least 34 Palestinians on Wednesday as they clashed with Hamas-led militants, medical experts said.
Residents of Khan Yunis said Israeli tanks made a surprise advance into the city’s center and the army ordered evacuations in the east, forcing many families to flee for safety and others trapped at home.
At least 11 people were killed in an Israeli attack in Khan Yunis, Palestinian health officials said.
In the central city of Deir al-Bala, home to at least one million people, an Israeli airstrike killed eight Palestinians near a school housing displaced families, medics said.
The Israeli army said it had ordered Hamas and other militants to leave areas where they had launched attacks, including rocket fire, on Israel.
The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said the militants clashed with Israeli forces in various areas across the region, firing anti-tank rockets and mortar shells.
More than 40,500 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The congested area is wasted. Most of its 2.3 million people have been displaced multiple times and face severe shortages of food and medicine, humanitarian organizations say.
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Reporting and writing by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Editing by Ross Russell
Our Standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
