Israel Advances Toward the South... Hamas Retaliates with Rocket Attacks

Airstrikes in Southern Gaza Including Khan Yunis

One week after the temporary ceasefire ended, the Israeli military launched an attack on the southern Gaza Strip. Since there are many refugees in this area, a full-scale ground war could result in large-scale casualties.

On the 2nd (local time), the Israeli military bombed southern Gaza cities such as Khan Yunis and Rafah, and instructed residents of several southern Gaza cities to leave their homes, according to major foreign media including the US New York Times (NYT).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Israeli military stated that it struck about 50 locations around Khan Yunis, the largest city in southern Gaza, and that houses and schools were hit by airstrikes, destroying three mosques. Naval forces also conducted operations targeting objectives at the Khan Yunis coastal anchorage.

Khan Yunis hosts a large number of refugees, and it is reported that some leadership of the Palestinian armed faction Hamas is hiding there. Of the 2.3 million Palestinian residents in Gaza, about 60% are currently in the south.

Hamas responded to the Israeli airstrikes by firing rockets. The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, announced via Telegram that they fired rockets toward Tel Aviv, Israel's largest city, on the same day. Israeli media also reported that air raid sirens were sounded in Tel Aviv.

The NYT analyzed that "Israel appears to be laying the groundwork for a ground invasion in southern Gaza."

In a speech that night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "We will continue the war until all objectives are achieved," adding, "It is impossible to achieve these objectives without ground operations." He emphasized that Israel's goal is to free hostages in Gaza, eliminate Hamas, and prevent the 'terror regime.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.