The World Today
MADRID, 17 (EUROPA PRESS)
At least seven Palestinians were killed and an unknown number injured early this morning by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in a bombardment of Gaza City, the same day that the expulsion of its residents to the southern Gaza Strip begins.
The attack targeted a group of citizens who were in the courtyard of the Baptist Hospital in the most populous city in the Palestinian enclave, according to the Palestinian news agency WAFA.
With this assessment, the day announced by the Israeli authorities begins the operation to expel the town's population, the first step in a new offensive that will eventually extend to the displaced persons camps on the central coast.
Last weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this new operation, which has sparked deep disagreements between the Israeli government and the army . Chief of Staff General Eyal Zamir even warned the prime minister that the battered Israeli forces were not prepared for such a large-scale operation.
The Gaza Health Ministry has put its latest death toll at 61,897 dead and 155,660 injured (385 since Friday), although the figures could be higher as many people remain under the rubble.
Gazan authorities have also reported that since Israel broke the ceasefire signed with Hamas last March, 10,362 Palestinians have died, while 43,619 have been injured as part of the resumption of the Israeli offensive.
Hospitals in Gaza have also recorded the death of a child due to starvation. In total, according to the Gaza authorities, 251 people have now died from starvation, including 108 children.
