Around 50,000 inhabitants are currently in the outskirts of the city of Gaza, most of them "have neither food nor water", says Mahmud Bassal from the terror-stamped Hamas civilian defense authority.
Testimonies from the city indicate a significant escalation of Israeli efforts, air raids and ground raids against areas in the city - especially the Zaytun district. The Israeli army IDF confirmed on Friday that military efforts are being carried out and claims that the targets have terror links.
Approved takeover
Israel's security cabinet and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously decided in August to approve a military takeover of the city of Gaza, and the current efforts indicate a preparation for larger efforts.
According to spokesperson Bassal from the defense authority in Gaza, Israel is carrying out "ethnic cleansing" in Zaytun.
Hospitals in Italy announced on Saturday that a 20-year-old patient who was flown for emergency care from Gaza to Pisa earlier in the week had died of cardiac arrest. The woman was one of 31 patients who were flown from Gaza to Italy in three rescue flights, reports AFP.
So far, over 180 children and young people have been flown from Gaza to Italy for emergency care.
Criticized decision
Residents of Gaza note that shelling and bombing of the city cause "explosions that never seem to end":
We have forgotten the experience of sleep, says Ghassan Kashko to the news agency AFP.
Information about the development in the heavily affected city of Gaza, where the war has been going on for over 22 months, cannot be confirmed by independent news media as their presence is stopped by Israel. The decision to expand the Israeli efforts in Gaza has been criticized both internationally and by the political opposition in Israel.
