Airstrikes To Israeli Tanks Kill 14 People In Gaza Strip

Israeli Military/PHOTO via Instagram @idf

JAKARTA - Israeli forces killed 14 Palestinians in tank and air attacks in the northern and central regions of the Gaza Strip. Israeli tanks moved further to the northwest of Rafah near the border with Egypt.

The relentless fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in the enclave continues even as parallel conflicts in the Lebanese-Israeli border area involving Hamas allies, Hezbollah, escalate.

Meanwhile, some Palestinians displaced by Israeli attacks in Gaza said they were worried that their temporary camp on the shore would be flooded with high waves.

Palestinian health officials said the shooting by Israeli tanks killed eight people and injured several others in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central region of Gaza, and six others were killed in airstrikes against homes in Gaza City.

In the northern city of Beit Hanoun, Israeli attacks on cars killed and injured several Palestinians, medics said.

It is not clear how many victims were combatants and how many civilians.

In the southern city of Rafah, where Israeli soldiers have been operating since May, tanks have moved forward to the northwest with the support of aircraft, residents said.

They also reported large fires and explosions reverberating in the eastern region of the city, where Israeli forces blew up several houses, according to residents and Hamas media.

"Our fighters were involved in a fierce firefight against Israeli forces, who advanced into the Tanour neighborhood in Rafah," Hamas' armed wing said in a statement.

The Israeli military said troops operating in Rafah in recent weeks had killed hundreds of Palestinian militants, found tunnels and explosives and destroyed military infrastructure.

Israel's demand to continue to control the southern border line between Rafah and Egypt has been the focus of international efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.