Israel Attacks Settlements In Gaza And Asks Palestinians To Move When Death Toll Reaches 37,765 People

Israeli Tanks in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

Israel stormed settlements in Gaza City on Thursday, ordering Palestinians to move south as tanks entered and bombed the southern city of Rafah in what it called the final stages of operation against Hamas militants there, while the death toll in the enclave continued to grow.

Residents of Shejaia settlements in Gaza City said they were surprised by the sound of tanks approaching and firing in the afternoon, with unmanned aircraft also attacking after overnight bombings in the city, which Israel had combed early in the war.

"It sounds like war is about to restart, a series of bombings that destroyed several houses in our area and rocked buildings," Gaza resident Mohammad Jamal, 25, told Reuters on June 28.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Civil Emergency Services said Israeli military attacks have killed at least seven people in Shejaia so far. More victims are feared to be under the rubble where rescue teams cannot reach it, he said.

Reuters footage shows women, men and children carrying bags and food as they run down the street after the attack began. Several men carrying injured children, some bleeding, in their arms as they fled.

"This is the occupation (Israel) targeting us, as you can see. You can see the children, targeting the children here," said a man carrying a bleeding boy in his arm.

An Israeli military spokesman said they had no comment on the victim's report in Shejaia.

The armed wing of Hamas' ally, Islamic Jihad, said it had detonated previously planted explosives against Israeli tanks east of the district.

Israel accused militants of hiding among civilians, saying warning displaced people to get out of their way of operations against the fighters.

"For your safety, you must immediately evacuate to the south on Jalan Salah al-Din to the humanitarian zone," military spokesman Avichay Adraee posted on social media platform X to residents and people displaced in Shejaia.

Residents and Hamas media said the tanks had moved before the post and people from the eastern suburbs were running to the west below fire as Israel had blocked the road to the south.

Just before midnight, Israeli airstrikes hit the headquarters of the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service in the Al-Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, killing three members, the rescue service said.

In Rafah, where tanks have advanced in several neighborhoods since May 7, medics said four Palestinians were killed by tank fire that landed in the western region of the city, where Israeli soldiers stepped up their attacks in recent days.

Separately, Gaza's health authorities announced on Thursday that the death toll of Palestinians as a result of the Israeli attack, following an attack by the Hamas militant group on October 7, 2023, had reached 37,765 people, while injuries reached 86,429 people, quoted from WAFA.

It added that many of the victims were still trapped under the rubble and scattered on the streets, as ambulances and civilian defense teams faced difficulties reaching them due to the relentless Israeli shooting.