The Israeli air force has intensified its counter-attacks in the Gaza Strip following a large-scale assault by the Islamist group Hamas. Reports from the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) indicate that dozens of fighter jets have targeted over 200 locations in the Al-Furqan area during the early hours of Wednesday morning. These strikes mark the third wave of major attacks within a 24-hour period.
According to the IDF, a total of more than 450 targets have been hit thus far. The military claims that Al-Furqan, a district in the northern Gaza Strip, serves as a primary hub for Hamas’ terrorist activities. Israel alleges that numerous terror attacks against the country were orchestrated from this area.
As of Wednesday morning, the death toll in Israel from the Hamas attacks that commenced on Saturday has risen to at least 1,200, with the vast majority of the victims being civilians, as revealed by IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus. Conricus described this figure as staggering and unimaginable.
The number of injured has surpassed 2,700, and Conricus expressed concerns that these figures may continue to rise. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that as of Tuesday night, the Israeli air force’s counter-attacks had resulted in at least 900 deaths and 4,500 injuries in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas, which is designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, carried out a significant assault on the border area last Saturday. Israel contends that the EU and Israel are responsible for the worst civilian bloodshed witnessed since the establishment of the Israeli state.
Sources: dpa, NAN
