Gaza conflict: Israeli troops kill 6 in clashes with Khan Younis

KHAN YOUNIS, GAZA STRIP:

Israeli forces clashed with Palestinian fighters in Khan Younis, Gaza, and destroyed tunnels and infrastructure in their attempt to neutralize combat units responsible for mortar attacks, the Israeli military said on Friday. Palestinian medical sources said Israeli strikes in eastern Khan Younis resulted in at least six Palestinian deaths.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that around 100 Palestinian fighters had been killed since the start of their latest operation in Khan Younis on Monday. The IDF noted that an airstrike targeted seven small units firing mortars at Israeli forces, and further south in Rafah, four additional fighters were killed in airstrikes.

The Islamic Jihad wing claimed responsibility for firing rockets at Ashkelon and other Israeli towns near Gaza. However, the Israeli ambulance service reported no casualties.

Despite Israel having taken more than nine months to invade Gaza following the October 7 attack, the ongoing fighting underscores the IDF’s challenges in rooting out fighters who have adopted guerrilla warfare tactics in the devastated areas of Gaza. A Telegram channel run by Hamas and its Islamic Jihad wings reported intense fighting with Israeli forces east of Khan Younis, involving machine guns, mortars and anti-tank weapons.

US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire. In a phone call, Biden and Jordan’s King Abdullah also discussed efforts for a ceasefire and hostage deal, stressing the need for increased humanitarian aid and Palestinian Authority reforms in the West Bank.

However, significant progress in negotiations to end the conflict and secure the release of some 115 hostages in Gaza has not been forthcoming, with statements from Israel and Hamas suggesting continuing substantive differences.

Local residents reported via messaging app that Israeli tanks had entered Bani Suhaila, Al-Zanna and Al-Karara, east of Khan Younis, destroying several houses in residential areas.