Israeli strikes kill scores in northern and central Gaza
Israeli strikes on Friday have killed at least 11 Palestinians in central Gaza, six of them in Maghazi and five in Nuseirat, according to the Wafa news agency.
Two people were also killed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza City.
The strikes come as US President Joe Biden claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “listening” to him regarding his prior warnings against an invasion in Rafah.
“They were going to go into Rafah full-bore - invade all of Rafah, go into the city, take it out, move with full force,” he said in an interview with the ABC. “They haven’t done that.”
The Un agency for Palestinian refugees, Unrwa, says over a million people were forcibly displaced from Rafah following the start of wider Israeli operations in the city last month. Many of these people went to central Gaza, which is currently bearing the brunt of Israeli strikes and ground operations.
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Netanyahu is reportedly expected to address a joint session of the US Congress on 24 July, following a formal invitation he received from Congress members.
Israeli forces conduct deadly raid in West Bank
Israeli forces on Thursday evening carried out another deadly raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, killing three people, including a 17-year-old boy, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Many people were also injured.
Israeli soldiers reportedly stormed the Jenin refugee and surrounded a home before shelling it.
The Wafa news agency says soldiers fired at the main electricity provider in the camp, prevented ambulances from moving freely and fired at journalists to bar them from reporting.
UN warns of broader Israel-Lebanon war
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called Thursday for an end to the hostilities across the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel, which have seen increased tensions over the past few days.
Both Hezbollah and Israel have intensified their attacks, raising fears of a wider escalation.
“As the exchanges of fire across the Blue Line continue, the Secretary-General renews his calls to the parties to urgently cease fire,” UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement, referring to the demarcation line.
“These exchanges of fire could trigger a broader conflict with devastating consequences for the region.”
Guterres called for the upholding of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Netanyahu recently said his forces were "prepared for a very intense operation" on the northern border.
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