Israeli forces continue Gaza bombardment as UN aid chief demands access
Al Jazeera
Attacks come as UN sounds alarm over deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, demands opening of crossings.
Israeli forces have continued to pound several areas across the besieged Gaza Strip, killing dozens of Palestinians, as residents reported overnight attacks in Rafah in the south of the enclave.
Israeli attacks in Gaza killed 60 Palestinians and injured 140 in the latest 24-hour reporting period, Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
It said that many victims remained trapped under the rubble as ambulances and medics were unable to reach them.
Residents said fighting intensified in the Tal as-Sultan neighbourhood in western Rafah, where tanks were also trying to force their way north amid heavy clashes. The armed wings of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad said their fighters attacked Israeli forces with antitank rockets and mortar bombs.
Since early May, ground fighting has focused on Rafah, abutting Egypt on Gaza’s southern edge, where around half of the enclave’s 2.3 million people had been sheltering after fleeing other areas. Most have since had to flee again.
