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Troops ‘completed the encirclement of Gaza City’, says IDF
Here is another look at the IDF’s announcement that it has “completed the encirclement of Gaza City” via AFP:
Israeli ground troops encircled Hamas stronghold Gaza City on Friday, after close ally the United States urged “concrete steps” to minimise civilian casualties.
Ahead of top US diplomat Antony Blinken’s scheduled visit to Israel Friday, the country’s military said it had “completed the encirclement” of Gaza’s largest city – signalling a new phase in the month-long war against Hamas.
Israel’s military describes Gaza City as “the centre of the Hamas terror organisation”.
But it is also home to some half a million Palestinians who have endured weeks of withering aerial bombardments, dwindling supplies and daily bloodshed on an unprecedented scale.
Outside Gaza City’s Al-Quds hospital, displaced residents seeking shelter from Israeli strikes told AFP that civilians would not withstand the barrage much longer.
“This is not a life. We need a safe place for our kids,” said 50-year-old Hiyam Shamlakh.
“Everybody is terrified, children, women and the elderly.”
The conflict is turning to urban and underground warfare, with Hamas fighting from a tunnel complex believed to span hundreds of kilometres.
A new video posted by Hamas sought to illustrate the devastating impact of its underground network, with a gunman seemingly emerging from a tunnel to plant an explosive on a nearby and unsuspecting Israeli tank.
The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, insisted invading Israeli soldiers would go home “in black bags”.
“Gaza will be the curse of history for Israel,” spokesman Abu Obeida said.
