Israeli army shelled several areas in the Gaza Strip today, and local residents said that fierce fighting took place in the western part of the city of Rafah during the night, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The armed wings of the Palestinian Islamist groups "Hamas" and "Islamic Jihad" stated that their fighters fired anti-tank rockets and mortars at Israeli forces.
Since the beginning of May, the fighting in Gaza has been concentrated in the southern city of Rafah, which is located on the border with Egypt. About half of the besieged enclave's population of 2.3 million have taken refuge there, fleeing fighting in other areas, but the majority of those Palestinians have again been forced to seek safer ground.
Medical officials said two civilians were killed in an Israeli rocket strike in Rafah today. The Israeli army, for its part, said it had killed a "Hamas" fighter who was involved in smuggling weapons across the border with Egypt. The army adds that dozens of military facilities and personnel were hit in Rafah during the night.
Palestinian medical authorities in the northern city of Beit Lahiya said Israeli forces destroyed a house, killing four people and injuring several others in the attack.
The Israeli army launched its military campaign in Gaza in response to the attack by "Hamas" against southern Israel on October 7, when about 1,200 people were killed and over 250 were taken hostage, Reuters recalls.
Since then, 37,658 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army, according to the latest figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Residents in the northern part of the enclave have been hit by severe food shortages, and health officials have said thousands of children are suffering from malnutrition, with at least 30 having died since October 7.