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Israel Launches Attack on Tal al-Sultan in Gaza, Killing Dozens of Palestinians
Israel has resumed its airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, announcing the start of an assault on the Tal al-Sultan area in the city of Rafah, located in the southern part of the territory. In a statement released by Israeli army spokesperson Avichai Adraee on the X platform, he indicated that Israeli forces began their military operations in that area.
Adraee also ordered the residents of Tal al-Sultan to evacuate the neighborhood, warning against moving vehicles. He specified on a map shared on his account the areas to which people should relocate, emphasizing that "Gush Katif Street is considered a humanitarian passage to the Mawasi area."
In concurrent developments, Palestinian sources reported the death of 19 Palestinians due to Israeli airstrikes since dawn today, according to the Associated Press. Israel also conducted intense airstrikes on the southern city of Khan Younis, where Hamas announced the killing of Salah al-Bardawil, a member of its political bureau, and his wife, as a result of an Israeli strike targeting their tent in a refugee camp west of Khan Younis. Al-Bardawil is considered one of Hamas's prominent leaders and has served as a deputy in the Palestinian Legislative Council and an official spokesperson for the movement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised last week to escalate the bombardment as the war against the Gaza Strip resumed, indicating that these airstrikes represent the beginning of operations. For his part, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that the situation in Gaza would deteriorate if Hamas did not release all Israeli hostages held since October 7, 2023, as 59 Israelis remain in captivity after dozens were freed during the first phase of a ceasefire agreement that began on January 19.
Since the beginning of the bloody war on the territory in 2023, ignited by Hamas's attack on Israeli settlements and military bases in the Gaza envelope, the number of Palestinian fatalities has risen to over 48,000, the majority of whom are children, women, and the elderly.
