117 killed, 152 injured in past 24 hrs; Gaza death toll crosses 28,000
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Gaza: The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has exceeded 28,000, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said.
The Ministry said on Saturday in a press statement that the Israeli army killed 117 Palestinians and wounded 152 others during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 28,064 and injuries to 67,611 since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7, 2023.
The Israeli army has been launching intensive airstrikes on Rafah city in the south of Gaza since Friday night, killing at least 28 people, reported the state-run Palestine TV.
On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the army to prepare a plan for a ground operation in Rafah to eliminate what remains of Hamas brigades, Xinhua news agency reported.
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The city was previously considered a safe zone from Israel's relentless bombardments and has provided shelter for more than half of the 2.3 million Gaza residents who fled for safety.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini has warned against a military operation in Rafah, where half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is estimated to live in displacement, reports Al Jazeera.
“There is a sense of growing anxiety and growing panic in Rafah. People have absolutely no idea where else to go,” Lazzarini said in a post on X. “Any large-scale military operation among this population can only lead to an additional layer of endless tragedy that’s unfolding in #Gaza.”
“A military offensive in the middle of these completely exposed, vulnerable people is a recipe for disaster. I am almost becoming wordless,” he added in a separate post.
UN chief Antonio Guterres also said the population of Gaza “is now crammed into Rafah with nowhere to go”, warning the displaced “have no homes” and “no hope”, reports Al Jazeera.
With agency inputs
