Published on 12/29/2024 at 1:12 p.m.
(Reuters) – Israeli forces leading a weeks-long offensive in northern Gaza on Sunday ordered all residents remaining in Beit Hanoun to leave the town, residents said.
The evacuation order caused a new wave of displacement but the number of people affected was not immediately known.
Israel says its campaign in northern Gaza is aimed at preventing Hamas fighters from regrouping.
On Friday, Israeli forces stormed the Kamal Adouane hospital in northern Gaza. The army claimed the hospital was used by militants, which Hamas denies.
Much of the area around the towns of Beit Hanoun, Djabalia and Beit Lahiya has been emptied of its population and destroyed, fueling speculation that Israel plans to set up a buffer zone there after the fighting ends, which the state Hebrew denies.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli strikes killed 16 people on Sunday, including seven in an attack on the upper floor of Al Wafa Hospital in central Gaza City. The Israeli military said it was examining the information.
(Written by Nidal Al-Mughrabi; French version Kate Entringer)
©2024 Thomson Reuters,
all rights reserved. Reuters content is the intellectual property of Thomson Reuters
or its third party content providers. Any copying, republication or redistribution
of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited
without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters. Thomson Reuters shall not
be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance
thereon. “Reuters” and the Reuters Logo are trademarks of Thomson Reuters and its
affiliated companies.
