On Friday, as senior US diplomat Antony Blinken arrived in Israel for a visit centered on “concrete steps” to minimize Palestinian civilian losses, Israeli ground soldiers surrounded Gaza City in their ongoing battle with Hamas.
Prior to Mr. Blinken’s arrival, Israel’s military declared on Thursday that it had “completed the encirclement” of the major city in the confined Palestinian region, indicating the start of a new stage in the fighting that has lasted for almost a month. The majority of those who have perished from Israeli shelling women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which governed by Hamas.
According to an AFP journalist, more Israeli strikes shook the Gaza Strip on Friday morning. The Gaza Health Ministry also confirmed at least 15 deaths in the Zeitun neighborhood of Gaza City and seven in the Jabalia refugee camp. The Hamas administration claims that hundreds more people injured and hundreds more individuals went missing as a result of Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia earlier this week; AFP was unable to independently corroborate these claims.
Prior to his exit, Mr. Blinken stated that he would work to ensure that injury to Palestinian civilians minimized, indicating a clear change in policy for the US, which has increased military funding to Israel and pledged its complete support. “We will talking about concrete steps that can and should taken to minimise harm to men, women and children in Gaza,” added Blinken. “This something that the United States committed to.” Israel has already achieved some “very impressive successes” with troops “more than on the outskirts of Gaza City,” according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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