Israeli forces surged deep into North Gaza on Friday after issuing a series of evacuation orders calling for Palestinians to flee, part of the escalating attacks on Hamas on the war-covered Gaza Strip.
The expansion of the ground operations came after Palestinian health officials said Thursday that dozens, including children, were killed in Israeli strikes, which became shelter at a school in Gaza's Taffa district. On Friday, Israeli forces said the strike was targeting famous extremists at Hamas headquarters and the control center.
The evacuation orders brought new challenges for the Palestinians who had already endured shelter from their homes and the dire circumstances during the first 15 months of the war. A two-month volatile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed in March after the two failed to reach an agreement to extend it, ending a brief rest for the Palestinians in Gaza.
Israeli forces have since embarked on a massive bombing campaign, seizing Gaza territory with a tactic that Israeli officials said was intended to force Hamas to release more hostages.
As Israeli military operations expanded, Hamas' military wing on Friday appeared to threaten the remaining Israeli and foreign hostages held in Gaza. Hamas said in a statement that he did not mention the light letter of people of its own, that the fighter has prisoners of war in the evacuation zone under “strict security measures that are extremely dangerous to their lives.”
The armed groups have threatened the happiness of hostages in the face of Israeli bombings in the past.
The military said the recent campaign has dismantled weapons infrastructure and killed militants, including Mohamed Awad, who was described as senior commander of the Mujahedine Brigade, a small armed group in Gaza.
The military said on October 7, 2023, Mr. Awad participated in a Hamas-led attack, saying “it is likely to be personally involved.” In the abduction and brutal murder of Ciri, Ariel and Kufiel Vivas, “it did not explain how it came to that conclusion. Mrs. Vivas and her two young children became symbols of the suffering of many Israelis on October 7th.
Avichay Adraee, an Arabic spokesman for the military, said in a social media post later Thursday that it provided a “final” warning before the new attacks, urging people to move southwards. Adrie suggested that extremist groups are active among civilians.
