Israeli soldiers were killed in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, the military reported, as forces continued operations in and around the city of Rafah. Airstrikes targeted several areas in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 19 Palestinians.
Earlier, Hamas’ armed wing reported that fighters had ambushed an armored personnel carrier in the Tel Al-Sultan area in western Rafah, where Israeli forces have been advancing for weeks, causing multiple Israeli casualties.
Israeli tanks advanced in Tel Al-Sultan, and shells landed in the coastal area where thousands of Palestinians, many already displaced multiple times, have sought refuge. Despite increasing international pressure for a ceasefire, an agreement to halt the fighting remains distant, more than eight months since the war began in October.
In Israeli airstrikes on two houses in the suburbs of Gaza City, residents reported that at least 15 people were killed. Additionally, medics reported that four others were killed in separate attacks in the south.
Hamas fired five rockets from a humanitarian area in central Gaza on Friday, according to the Israeli military. Two of these rockets landed in open areas in Israel, while three fell short within Gaza.
On Saturday, the Israeli military reported that its forces in Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza near the Egyptian border, had captured large quantities of weapons, both above ground and hidden within Hamas’ extensive tunnel network.