Israeli tanks and aircraft struck targets in southern and central Gaza on Sunday, with fierce battles erupting in certain areas as the conflict marks 100 days since the outbreak of war following the October 7 attack by militants from Hamas. Communication and internet services have been cut off for the third consecutive day, complicating the efforts of emergency and rescue teams attempting to assist those affected by the fighting.
The fighting has concentrated in Khan Younis city in the southern part of the strip, where Hamas claimed its fighters hit an Israeli tank, as well as in Al-Bureij and Maghazi in central Gaza, where the Israeli army reported the killing of several militants. The army added that it destroyed many of the rocket launch platforms used by Hamas to fire rockets at Israel.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that 125 people were killed and 265 others were injured in the past 24 hours, bringing the total confirmed death toll since the war began to nearly 24,000, along with over 60,000 injured. Speaking via video link at a conference held in Istanbul, Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh praised the October 7 attack carried out by the group's militants.
During the assault, Hamas militants invaded Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip, leading to more than 1,200 deaths and the capture of around 240 hostages, according to Israeli reports. Haniyeh stated, "We are not advocates of war, we are advocates of freedom," adding that the attack was driven by factors including the years-long Israeli blockade on Gaza, which has been governed by Hamas since 2007.
The Israeli army claims it has entered a new phase of the war focused on the southern part of the strip, where nearly two million people are now seeking refuge in tents and other temporary shelters, after the initial phase concentrated on northern Gaza, home to the city of Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ignored calls for a ceasefire, insisting that Israel will continue the war until it achieves total victory over Hamas, although the army stated that the next phase of the conflict will see more precise operations targeting the group's leaders and military sites.
