Israel Escalates Strikes on 120 Terror Targets Across Gaza Amid Mass Evacuation from Rafah
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The Israeli military has intensified its operations in northern and central Gaza and Rafah, urging more neighborhoods to move to designated safe zones over the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, Israeli aircraft struck over 120 Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip, as detailed in a statement from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Monday.
UNRWA reported on Monday morning that close to 360,000 individuals have evacuated Rafah following the initial Israeli military evacuation order issued a week ago, with 60,000 fleeing in the last 24 hours alone.
The IDF reported that ground forces clashed with Hamas terrorists in eastern Rafah, near the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. These operations led to the elimination of several terrorists and the seizure of rocket launchers and other weapons. Additionally, IDF soldiers discovered and confiscated weapons stored in a local school.
The IDF is actively engaged in operations in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza as Hamas attempts to regroup. Several Hamas terrorists were killed in recent skirmishes, and the Israeli Air Force has targeted Hamas facilities, including underground sites and a building used by terrorists. IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated on Saturday, “We have identified in recent weeks attempts by Hamas to restore its military capabilities in Jabalia and the IDF is working to dismantle them.”
On Saturday, the IDF initiated the evacuation in Zeitoun and Jabalia by dropping flyers and sending SMS messages to residents, directing them to relocate to safe zones in Gaza City.
Meanwhile, US officials continue to express strong opposition to military actions in Rafah. In a conversation on Sunday with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated American objections to a large-scale operation there. According to a State Department statement, Blinken “reaffirmed the US opposition to a major military ground operation in Rafah, where over one million people have taken shelter.” He added, “The secretary underscored the urgent need to protect civilians and aid workers in Gaza and urged the minister to ensure assistance can move into Gaza and help address distribution challenges inside of Gaza as Israel pursues Hamas targets.”
Following the call with Secretary Blinkin, a statement from Defense Minister Yoav Gallant’s office detailed the conversation about “developments in Gaza, including IDF operations across the Strip in the face of terror hotspots and the precise operation in the Rafah area against remaining Hamas battalions, while securing the crossing,” referring to the Gaza-Egypt border area. Israeli troops took control of the Gaza side of the crossing last week.
UN Cuts By More Than Half The Number of Women and Children Who Were Killed in Gaza
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has significantly reduced the previously reported numbers of female and child casualties in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, with the revised figures now showing more than a 50% decrease. These updated counts rely on data from the Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry, not independent sources.
Until May 6, OCHA relied on the Hamas-controlled Government Media Office (GMO) for casualty figures, reporting a death toll of over 34,000, including disproportionately high numbers of women and children. These figures showed 9,500 women and over 14,500 children among the casualties, representing 27% and 42% of the total, respectively.
However, on May 8, OCHA updated its figures. Although the overall reported death toll slightly increased to 34,844, the agency revised the count of “identified” fatalities down to 24,686, with 4,959 women (20%) and 7,797 children (32%). This adjustment marked a significant reduction, with the number of women and children reported killed decreasing by 52% and 53%, respectively.
In a recent statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that Israeli estimates suggest around 14,000 terrorists have been killed in recent conflicts, with the IDF reporting a slightly higher figure of 15,000. Additionally, approximately 16,000 civilian lives have been lost, resulting in a civilian casualty rate of 53%. In an interview released on Sunday, Netanyahu stated that the death toll ratio between Hamas combatants and Gazan civilians is roughly one-to-one.
On October 7, attacks by Hamas on communities near the Gaza border led to at least 1,200 fatalities. Additionally, 240 Israelis and foreigners were captured as hostages, with 132 hostages still in captivity. However, approximately 30 of the 132 remaining hostages are presumed dead.
If you are interested in articles produced by Worthy News, please check out our FREE sydication service available to churches or online Christian ministries. To find out more, visit Worthy Plugins.