GAZA, May 13 (NNN-XINHUA) – Israeli warplanes bombed several areas in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday, while fierce clashes erupted between Hamas and the Zionist forces, carrying out fresh operations in those areas.
Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that, Israel carried out heavy air and artillery strikes on residential buildings and agricultural lands in Jabalia refugee camp, its nearby Jabalia city, the Beit Lahia city, and some neighbourhoods in Gaza City.
Gaza Civil Defence Spokesman, Mahmoud Basel, said in a statement that, Israeli forces have intensified strikes on those residential homes, where civilians remained inside.
He said, casualties were reported from Jabalia and nearby areas targeted by the Israeli strikes, but “it is difficult for our teams to reach them due to the intensity of gunfire.”
Meanwhile, Israeli tanks and military vehicles went deeper from the eastern outskirts to advance a new assault on northern Gaza, according to unnamed Palestinian sources.
The advancement came, after fierce clashes since last night, between members of the Al-Qassam Brigades, and the Zionist forces in the area.
Since yesterday morning, the Israeli strikes have prompted a large number of Palestinian families to flee westward, carrying belongings on foot or cramped in vehicles.
“The bombing is everywhere,” said Hajja Zuhriya Salman, who clenched a bag and several plastic bags in the streets. Escaping from their home in a hurry, her grandchildren walked barefoot.
“We are escaping from death to death, and there is no safe place in Gaza,” she lamented.
“It is the third time for me to leave home since the beginning of the war, and we hope to end the war as soon as possible, which has been, in more than 200 days, a nightmare for us.”
On Saturday, the Israeli army called on all residents and displaced persons in Jabalia and the surrounding areas to immediately head to shelters west of Gaza City, warning them against a nighttime operation targeting Hamas elements in the area.
The Israeli army started the operation in Jabalia based on intelligence information, regarding Hamas’s attempts to reassemble its infrastructure and activists in the area.
It said in a statement on Saturday that, before the entry of its forces, fighter jets belonging to the Zionist Air Force and additional aircraft targeted about 30 targets in the area and killed many Palestinians.
In a separate statement yesterday, the Zionist army said, it continued operations in the Zaitoun area in northern Gaza, and during the past day, a number of people were killed in close combat and aerial raids.
The Al-Qassam Brigades said yesterday that, its elements “target the invading enemy forces east of Jabalia camp in northern Gaza with mortar shells.”
It said, in another statement that, its fighters succeeded in shooting down an anti-tank missile through a drone at a Merkava tank, east of the camp, while two other tanks were targeted with “Al-Yassin 105” shells.
The Israeli regime’s military said Saturday that, its operations were continuing in specific areas in eastern Rafah and on the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing.– NNN-XINHUA
