CAIRO: Israeli tanks pushed back on Tuesday into some areas of Gaza’s north which they had left weeks ago, medics and residents said.
They said Israeli warplanes also conducted airstrikes on Rafah, the Palestinians’ last refuge in the south of the besieged territory, killing and injuring several people.
Residents also reported an internet blackout Beit Hanoun and Jabalia areas in northern Gaza.
Tanks entered Beit Hanoun and surrounded some schools where displaced people were taking shelter, said the residents and media outlets of Hamas.
One of the residents told the media that Israeli soldiers detained many men.
Beit Hanoun, with a population of 60,000 people, was one of the first areas targeted by Israeli forces in Gaza last October.
Heavy bombardment destroyed most parts of the city known as the basket of fruit.
Many families who had returned to the city after Israeli forces withdrew, again started moving out of the area amid new Israeli raid.
Israeli strike kills four people in Rafah
Palestinian health officials said an Israeli strike killed four people and injured several others in Rafah, where over half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is taking shelter.
The UN human rights office on Tuesday said Israel is also placing illegal restrictions on humanitarian relief for Gaza.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 33,843 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombardment since October 7, including 46 in the past 24 hours.
Israel is trying to stop UN investigators from speaking to witnesses and victims of the October 7 attack, said former UN rights chief Navi Pillay, who is heading a three-person investigation.
The UN Human Rights Council established the inquiry commission in May 2021 to investigate alleged violations of international humanitarian law by Israel and the Palestinian territories.
