According to the army, Israeli ground forces have carried out airstrikes in Gaza in the past 24 hours ahead of an expected ground offensive in the densely populated Palestinian territory, reports RTE.
“Over the past 24 hours, IDF (Israeli military) forces carried out localised raids inside the territory of the Gaza Strip to complete the effort to cleanse the area of terrorists and weaponry,” an army statement said, reports RTE.
In a statement, the ministry reported “martyrdom of 1,799 citizens including 583 children and 351 women,” adding that more than 7,000 people were injured.
More than 1,300 people have been killed since Hamas fighters began attacking Israel from blockaded Gaza.
Since Saturday, at least 44 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank in violence related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the health ministry said.
Earlier, the World Health Organization said it was impossible to evacuate vulnerable patients from northern Gaza after local health authorities in Gaza said the Israeli military urged civilians to evacuate south within 24 hours, reports RTE.
Hamas has rejected an Israeli order to evacuate 1.1 million residents of the northern Gaza Strip within 24 hours of an expected ground attack on the heavily populated Palestinian territory.
“Our Palestinian people reject the threat of the occupation (Israeli) leaders and its call for them to leave their homes and flee from them to the south or Egypt,” Hamas said in a statement, reports RTE.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin has emphasized that Israel has the right to defend itself, but it must do so in accordance with international law.
He made this statement while speaking at University College Cork earlier today. Mr. Martin also noted that it is not practical for one million people in Gaza to evacuate the area in just 24 hours.
The United Nations has stated that this would be impossible and would result in severe humanitarian consequences.
“The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement, reports RTE.
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