Gazans in Khan Younis woke up to a large blast and smoke rising on Thursday (August 21) following an airstrike in an area close to the Nasser hospital as Israel’s military announced the first steps of an operation to take over Gaza City, Reuters reports.
The announcement on Wednesday (August 20) signalled Israel was pressing ahead with its plan to seize Gaza's biggest urban center despite international criticism of an operation likely to force the displacement of many more Palestinians.
Israeli troops clashed on Wednesday with more than 15 Hamas militants who emerged from tunnel shafts and attacked with gunfire and anti-tank missiles near Khan Younis, south of Gaza City, severely wounding one soldier and lightly wounding two others, an Israeli military official said.
Israel's military campaign has caused widespread devastation across the Gaza Strip, which before the war was home to about 2.3 million Palestinians. Many buildings including homes, schools and mosques have been destroyed, while the military has accused Hamas of operating from within civilian infrastructure, which Hamas denies.
