Intense fighting rages in north, south Gaza; 57 dead in 24 hours

CAIRO, May 13

Israeli forces pushed deep into the ruins of Gaza’s northern edge on Monday to recapture an area where they claimed to have dismantled Hamas months ago, while in the south tanks and troops pushed across a highway into Rafah.

3.6L have fled since evacuation order: UN

Tel Aviv: Almost 360,000 people have fled the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli army issued the first evacuation orders a week ago, according to UN figures. “There's nowhere to go. There’s NO safety without a #ceasefire,” the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees wrote on X.

Hamas loses contact with men guarding hostages

• Hamas’ armed wing Al Qassam Brigades said on Monday it had lost contact with militants guarding four Israeli hostages, including US-Israeli citizen Hersh Goldberg-Polin, because of bombardment of Gaza in past 10 days
• Goldberg-Polin, who pleaded with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu for his release in a video message published by the group in April, is one of more than 250 persons kidnapped by Hamas fighters
• Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive until Israel dismantles Hamas’ military and governing capabilities and returns all the hostages

Some of the most intense fighting for weeks is raging in both the north and south. Israeli operations in Rafah, which borders Egypt, have closed a main crossing point for aid, which humanitarian groups say is worsening an already dire situation.

Hundreds of thousands of people are being forced to flee again after around half of Gaza’s population took sanctuary there after being pushed south by fighting elsewhere. Gaza’s health authority on Monday appealed for international pressure to reopen access via the southern border to allow in aid and medical supplies. “The wounded and sick suffer a slow death because there is no treatment and supplies and they cannot travel,” it said.

The Palestinian death toll in the war has now surpassed 35,000, with 57 killed in the past 24 hours, according to Gaza health officials.

In Rafah, Israel stepped up aerial and ground bombardments on the eastern areas of the city, killing people in an airstrike on a house in the Brazil neighbourhood. — Reuters

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