Israel has carried out fresh airstrikes on the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, with Palestinian health authorities saying the number of Palestinians killed in the enclave in the past two days has exceeded 110, Reuters reported.
The wave of military operations and new casualties comes as efforts to conclude a ceasefire agreement have been renewed before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20. Israel sent representatives to Doha yesterday in connection with the renewal of negotiations, which are being conducted through mediators from Qatar and Egypt, BTA specifies.
The Health Ministry in Gaza said that more than 40 Palestinians were killed today, after 71 people were killed in yesterday's Israeli strikes in the Palestinian enclave, including in the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone declared by the Israeli authorities.
The Israeli army said that it had struck about 40 places where there are concentrations of "Hamas" fighters, as well as command and control centers of the Palestinian group. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) added that they had taken a number of measures to reduce the risks to civilians, including through the use of precision weapons, aerial surveillance and other intelligence assets.
Israel accuses "Hamas" of deploying its fighters in civilian areas, including in buildings that were previously used as schools. "Hamas" denies these accusations.
The Israeli army today called on civilians in the Al-Bureij area in central Gaza to evacuate ahead of the operation, which was launched in response to rocket attacks launched from the area.
Meanwhile, medics reported that a Palestinian man and his son were killed in the "Jenin" refugee camp in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Reuters added.
Clashes between Palestinian security forces and armed groups in the city have been ongoing for a month.
The Palestinian Authority said the 44-year-old man and his son were shot while standing on the roof of their house in the Jenin refugee camp, and said the shots were not fired by its security personnel. The man's daughter was also wounded in the shooting.
The Palestinian Authority said there had been an "incident" today in which a member of its security forces was also killed, but did not provide further details.
In the crowded refugee camp, located in one of the neighborhoods of the city. Jenin, home to descendants of Palestinians who fled or were expelled during the 1948 war.
At least eight Palestinians have been killed in the refugee camp in the past month, including one member of the armed group "Jenin Brigades". Its ranks include members of the armed wings of "Hamas", "Islamic Jihad" and "Fatah".
Last month, Palestinian security forces launched an operation in Jenin. The Palestinian Authority said it was targeting armed groups "bandits" who had established their own power base in the city and the refugee camp located there.
The operation has caused divisions among Palestinians in the West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority does not enjoy strong popular support. Many West Bank residents, however, worry that they could be drawn into a conflict with Israel similar to the one in the Gaza Strip if militant groups consolidate their positions.