Israeli tanks have advanced further into the Mawasi camp for displaced Palestinians in Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip. This escalation comes after dozens of civilian casualties in the besieged area over the past 24 hours.
On Sunday, Israeli tanks reached the edge of Mawasi, sparking intense battles with Palestinian resistance fighters. A resident reported, “The fighting with the resistance has been intense. The occupation forces are now overlooking the Mawasi area, forcing families to flee to Khan Younis.”
Residents noted that Israeli tanks have been moving deeper into western and northern Rafah, destroying numerous houses. Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters claimed to have engaged Israeli forces with anti-tank rockets, mortar bombs, and pre-planted explosive devices.
In addition to ground operations, the Israeli military has continued airstrikes across the Gaza Strip. On Sunday, an Israeli airstrike hit a vocational college near Gaza City, which was being used by the UN Palestinian Refugee Agency (UNRWA) to distribute aid.
The strike killed at least eight Palestinians. Mohammed Tafesh, a witness, described the scene: “Some people were coming to receive coupons, and others had been displaced and were sheltering here. Suddenly, we heard something falling. We ran, those carrying water let it spill. We pulled out martyrs from beneath the rubble.”
UNRWA reported that 69% of schools used as shelters for displaced Palestinians in Gaza have been targeted by Israeli bombings. Elsewhere, an attack on a residential building in Gaza City killed eight civilians, and another strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed two people.
In the al-Shati refugee camp, 24 people were killed in a strike on houses, and another 18 died in the al-Tuffah neighborhood.
The Israeli military stated it had struck dozens of targets throughout Gaza. Hamas condemned the attacks, claiming they targeted civilians and vowing that Israel “will pay the price for their violations against our people.”
