Israel has announced the opening of a “temporary” corridor for civilians to leave Gaza City, following the launch of its latest ground offensive on the enclave’s main urban center.
The Israeli military said it has hit more than 150 sites across Gaza City since the operation began early Tuesday. “Over the past two days, the [Israeli air force] and artillery corps struck over 150 terror targets throughout Gaza City in support of the manoeuvring troops in the area,” the army said in a statement carried by Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Local sources reported heavy civilian losses overnight. Gaza’s civil defence agency, run under Hamas authority, said at least 12 Palestinians were killed in the airstrikes. Hospital officials placed the toll at 16 dead, including women and children. The Israeli army told AFP it was reviewing the reports.
The Israeli military Attacks
Meanwhile, in London, UK officials confirmed that a group of seriously ill and injured children from Gaza had been flown to Britain for urgent treatment under the NHS.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting described the evacuation as a moral imperative. “No one can fail to be distressed by the devastating impact the war has had on the children of Gaza. Every child deserves the chance to heal, to play, to simply be able to dream again,” he said, calling the transfer “the start of their journey towards recovery.”
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper highlighted the collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system as hospitals run out of capacity. “As we welcome the first group of children to the UK for urgent treatment, their arrival reflects our determined commitment to humanitarian action and the power of international cooperation,” she said.
She reiterated Britain’s call for the protection of medical staff and infrastructure in Gaza, along with an urgent increase in the flow of medicine and supplies into the besieged territory.
