GAZA (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Israeli occupation army commenced a ground offensive in northern Gaza Strip on Thursday afternoon, coinciding with ongoing airstrikes across the Strip. Its forces are working to expand the buffer zone between the northern and southern areas of the enclave, including increasing deployment in the Netzarim axis.
The occupation army stated in a statement that the 252nd division has begun “ground operations” along the coastal axis in the Beit Lahia area in northern Gaza Strip.
Local sources reported that the American-Egyptian-Qatari committee withdrew from the Netzarim axis, without any official announcement from the mediators regarding the details and circumstances of the withdrawal.
The occupation army decided to position Golani Brigade forces in the southern area, ready to operate within Gaza Strip.
Earlier today, the occupation army announced that it is working to expand the buffer zone between the northern and southern Gaza Strip to enhance security control. As a result, it prohibits movement on Salah al-Din Street between the north and south, adding that movement is possible via the Al-Rasheed Road (Sea Street).
On February 9, the occupation army completely withdrew from the Netzarim axis, in implementation of a ceasefire agreement reached with the Palestinian resistance through Qatari, Egyptian, and American mediation.
Field sources and eyewitnesses at the time reported that the occupation forces retreated from the sites they held within the Strip to the eastern areas of the axis, at distances ranging from 44 meters to 700 meters.
The Walla website quoted security sources saying that this phase of the ground military aggression on Gaza Strip aims to push Hamas to return to negotiations and not to break the rules of the game. “If Hamas does not return to negotiations, attacks will escalate and ground operations to evacuate the population will increase,” according to the sources.
The occupation army added that it preempted the ground operation with airstrikes targeting the second-tier leadership of resistance factions and their military infrastructure.
According to medical sources, the number of martyrs in the airstrikes on Gaza Strip since midnight last night until noon today has reached 95 martyrs.
Khalil Al-Daqran, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, stated in a statement to Anadolu Agency today that “710 martyrs and more than 900 injured have reached hospitals in the Strip since dawn Tuesday.” He added that 70% of the injured are children and women, noting that most of them sustained injuries described as “serious”.
Contrary to the occupation’s claims, medical and journalistic sources in Gaza Strip confirm that the majority of the martyrs in the airstrikes are children and women, including entire families.
