Israeli Forces Operations in Gaza City: Civilians Should Move South

On Thursday, July 7, the Israeli army, while conducting a military operation in a neighborhood in Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip, told Palestinians to move south. According to Reuters, Israeli forces also bombed the city of Rafah in southern Gaza. Israel claims it is in the final stages of military operations against Hamas militants in Rafah. Before the attack on Rafah, the country stated that four battalions of this Iranian-backed militant group remained in the city. Reuters quoted residents of the Shuja'iyya neighborhood in Gaza City as saying they were surprised by the onslaught of tanks in the area and the ongoing drone attacks in the early afternoon on Thursday. According to the report, the 'Palestinian Civilian Emergency Organization' announced that there were reports of casualties in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood, but its rescue teams could not assist due to the continued assault by Israeli forces. The organization stated that previously three people were killed, and with the death of five others in another neighborhood, the total number of fatalities reached eight. Israel accuses Palestinian militants of hiding among civilians and claims it warns refugees to evacuate from the path of its military operations against these militants. The armed branch of 'Islamic Jihad,' an ally of Hamas and another group supported by the Islamic Republic, announced that it targeted a tank with an explosive trap in eastern Shuja'iyya. Palestinians living in various areas of Gaza have been repeatedly displaced due to Israeli military operations, and large parts of the region have been devastated. Some reports also indicate that dozens have died due to food shortages. The war in Gaza began after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel on October 7 of last year, killing at least 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians. This group is listed as a terrorist organization by Israel, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and several other countries. Israeli Defense Minister's warning to Hezbollah: 'We can return Lebanon to the Stone Age.' Increased likelihood of war between Israel and Hezbollah; Erdogan: 'We support Lebanon.' Iraqi militants targeted the port of Eilat in Israel; an attack on a ship in the Gulf of Aden. Intensified clashes between Israel and Hezbollah; Israel's representative to the UN: 'They will pay the price with an all-out war.'