Hamas, the militant group that controls the besieged enclave, additionally launched a chilling video of three of its hostages delivering a harsh assertion addressed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with one lady nearly screaming on the Israeli chief, “Free, free us now. Free their civilians, free their prisoners, free us, free us all, allow us to return to our households now. Now! Now! Now!”
Earlier within the day, dramatic video footage taken by Palestinian journalists confirmed a white sedan touring on the freeway towards the Netzarim junction, the place there have been Israeli tanks. Because it was executing a sluggish U-turn, the automotive exploded. (Netzarim was an Israeli agricultural settlement whose final residents have been evicted by Israeli troopers in 2005 throughout their pullout from the Gaza Strip.)
Israeli navy spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari declined to touch upon the incident on the freeway on Monday, however informed a information convention that Israel has “expanded the exercise of our forces and extra forces entered the strip, together with infantry, armored corps, fight engineering and artillery corps.”
“There’s additionally direct contact between our forces on the bottom and terrorists because the combating continues contained in the Gaza Strip,” Hagari mentioned.
In different indicators of a deeper incursion into Gaza, the Israel Protection Forces informed journalists that Israeli troops noticed “an antitank missile launching submit within the space of the al-Azhar College, and guided a fighter jet to strike them.”
The college campus is positioned simply south of Gaza Metropolis. Social media stories from Gaza mentioned Israeli troops have been within the space.
Earlier, IDF troopers hoisted an Israeli flag atop a beachside lodge north of Gaza Metropolis.
Till now, quick video clips launched by the IDF principally present tanks and troops working on the periphery of Gaza, primarily in farmlands and the perimeters of city areas.
There are solely two foremost roads connecting north and south in Gaza. One among them runs alongside the uncovered coast and the opposite is Salah al-Din street, the principle artery. Salah al-Din is an historic street, traversed by the armies of Alexander the Nice, the Romans and Napoleon.
Journalist Bashar Talib informed The Washington Put up by cellphone that he was at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in central Gaza when round 8:30 a.m. native time he and a colleague, Youssef Saifi, left and headed north to Gaza Metropolis. They traveled alongside the Salah al-Din freeway, as different routes have been battered by Israeli bombardments.
“We have been shocked by the presence of an Israeli tank and bulldozer on the Salah al-Din street on the Netzarim junction,” Talib mentioned. He and Saifi instantly stopped their automotive and began to show round.
“Throughout our withdrawal,” Talib mentioned, he noticed “a civilian automotive. … Within the entrance was an previous man and within the again sat a girl with youngsters.”
The Israeli tank “immediately focused” them, he mentioned. Saifi, a cameraman for Al Araby TV, posted a video of the encounter on-line.
“I felt in excessive hazard, and I had by no means confronted this case earlier than,” Talib mentioned. “The scene was terrifying. I noticed pillars of flame rising.”
Talib mentioned three individuals have been killed and an unknown quantity injured. All casualties have been taken to al-Aqsa Hospital.
A spokesperson for al-Aqsa Hospital didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The Put up couldn’t instantly independently confirm these accounts.
In a press release, Hamas spokesperson Salama Maarouf mentioned a number of Israeli tanks and a bulldozer moved on to the street from an agricultural space and focused a couple of car earlier than Hamas fighters “compelled them to retreat.”
However Maarouf additionally appeared to minimize the presence of Israeli troops, saying, “There was completely no floor advance in residential areas” by Israeli troops, who’ve “presently no presence” on Salah al-Din street, he mentioned.
Beforehand, Hamas has inspired individuals to not depart the north.
Hamas additionally launched footage Monday that appeared to indicate three Israeli hostages delivering a press release to Netanyahu, whom they deal with by his nickname “Bibi.”
The video exhibits three girls, in clear clothes, sitting on plastic chairs in a tiled room. One of many girls reads what seems to be a prewritten assertion that’s strongly vital of the Israeli prime minister, with one other of the ladies repeating some phrases and shaking her head in settlement on the conclusion of the video.
The three hostages are usually not visibly injured within the video. It’s not clear when the video was made, although one of many hostages mentioned it was 23 days after Oct. 7.
The names of the hostages weren’t included within the video, however Israel’s Channel 13 reported that each one have been from the Nir Ozkibbutz. The households of the ladies had requested that the video not be proven, Channel 13 reported.
The Israeli prime minister’s workplace known as the video “merciless psychological propaganda” and in a press release, Netanyahu mentioned they have been doing every part they may to deliver the hostages house. “Our hearts exit to you and the remainder of the hostages.”
Harb reported from London and Sales space reported from Jerusalem.
