Israeli Attacks on Refugee Camps in Central Gaza Parallel Tank Advances in Rafah

Health officials in the Gaza Strip report that multiple Israeli airstrikes in the central and northern parts of the besieged enclave on Wednesday night and Thursday have left at least 14 dead, while residents of Rafah indicate that Israeli tanks have made further advances in the southern Gaza city. According to officials from the Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under the extremist group Hamas, Israeli planes targeted a house in the al-Nuseirat refugee camp, resulting in two deaths and 12 injuries. Additionally, Israeli tanks bombarded the al-Maghazi and al-Bureij refugee camps, causing several more injuries. An Israeli airstrike on Thursday in Deir al-Balah, a city in central Gaza now filled with Palestinian refugees, left one dead and several injured. Gaza health officials also reported that in another Israeli airstrike on Thursday, a house in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City was destroyed, leading to the deaths of seven Palestinians. Hamas media also announced that one of the journalists working for the Al-Aqsa TV, affiliated with the militant group, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in western Gaza City. According to Hamas media statistics, 152 journalists have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since the beginning of this war. The Israeli army stated on Wednesday that its forces would continue operations across Gaza against Hamas militants and their positions. Israel has described these attacks as 'precise' and 'based on acquired intelligence.' More than eight months into the war in Gaza, the Israeli army is now focused on two areas: the city of Rafah in the south and the areas surrounding Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. These operations have caused over one million Palestinians to flee from these areas in less than two months. On Wednesday and Thursday, Israeli tanks stationed in western and central Rafah intensified bombardments of the city, forcing more families living in remote coastal areas to flee northward. Rafah had housed more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million population until May 7, when Israeli forces began their ground assault on the city. However, now less than one hundred thousand Palestinians remain there. Meanwhile, there are no signs of a ceasefire as international mediators, despite support from the United States, have been unable to convince Israel and Hamas to agree to a truce. The U.S. Central Command announced that the floating dock established by its forces for humanitarian aid to Gaza has been reactivated and the 'mission to deliver much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians' has resumed. The floating dock, which has faced various issues since its inception, last separated from the shore last Friday due to stormy weather. CENTCOM added that on Thursday, with the resumption of the floating dock's operations, 656 tons of aid were unloaded from this location on the Gaza shore, which has been 'the largest aid delivery in a single day to date.' The dock, named 'Marshall,' was established under conditions where U.S. forces did not enter Gaza, and humanitarian organizations play a central role in delivering and transferring aid. The security of the dock is the responsibility of Israel.