“One North Gaza and one South Gaza”
Israel announces division of the Gaza Strip in two
November 5th, 2023, 9:35 p.m
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At the end of the week, Israel’s army reported the encirclement of Gaza City. Now the military says it has effectively divided the Gaza Strip. Civilians should be allowed to leave the northern part. Meanwhile, the fighting continues unabated.
According to military reports, the Gaza Strip has been completely divided in half by Israeli troops. There is now “a North Gaza and a South Gaza,” said spokesman Daniel Hagari. The units have reached the coast in the southern part of the city of Gaza and are “holding” the area. The city of Gaza is now completely encircled.
This is a crucial step, he continued. However, according to him, civilians should still be able to flee to the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Hagari also confirmed that air strikes were extended to the densely populated coastal strip in the evening. According to the Palestinian Telecommunications Company, all communications and internet services were previously down there again.
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The Israeli army had already reported the encirclement of Gaza City on Thursday evening after increased attacks on the Gaza Strip in the previous days. “Our soldiers have completed the encirclement of the city of Gaza, the center of the terrorist organization Hamas,” military spokesman Hagari said. According to images from the Israeli army, tanks and armored bulldozers then advanced there to tighten the siege ring around the city of Gaza.
“Terrorists eliminated in close combat”
Meanwhile, the army said it continued its attacks. They are continuing to “eliminate terrorists in close combat” in the Gaza Strip and to attack positions of the radical Islamic Hamas from the air. In total, more than 2,500 “terrorist targets” have been bombed since ground troops began deploying in the Palestinian territory around ten days ago.
The Israeli army’s declared goal is to completely destroy Hamas and its positions, some of which are hidden underground in a tunnel system. In total, the Israeli army says it has attacked 12,000 targets in the Gaza Strip since the start of its war against Hamas. Israel began deploying ground troops on October 27th.
Hundreds of fighters from the radical Islamic organization attacked Israel on October 7th and committed indiscriminate atrocities, especially against civilians, including many women and children, in a number of towns and at a music festival. According to Israeli figures, 1,400 people were killed and more than 240 others were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip. Israel then declared war on Hamas, which is also classified as a terrorist organization in the USA and the EU.