The Israeli military said on Wednesday that its forces resumed ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip, as a second day of airstrikes killed no fewer than 48 Palestinians.
The renewed ground operations came a day after over 400 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes in one of the deadliest episodes since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023, shattering a ceasefire that had largely held since January.
According to the Israeli military, its operations extended Israel’s control over the Netzarim Corridor, which bisects Gaza, and were a focused maneuver aimed at creating a partial buffer zone between the north and the south of the enclave.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian militant group Hamas said the ground operation and the incursion into the Netzarim Corridor were a new and dangerous violation of the two-month-old ceasefire agreement.
The group, in a statement, reaffirmed its commitment to the deal, calling on mediators to assume their responsibilities.
The United Nations said a strike killed a foreign staffer and wounded five workers at a UN site in central Gaza City on Wednesday.
Gaza’s health ministry linked the strike to Israel, but Israel denied the allegation, saying it hit a Hamas site where it detected preparations for firing into Israeli territory.
According to the executive director of the UN Office for Project Services, Jorge Moreira da Silva, “Israel knew that this was a UN premises, that people were living, staying, and working there. It is a compound. It is a very well-known place.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a thorough investigation and condemned all attacks on UN personnel.
Guterres, in a statement, said the strike brought to at least 280 the number of UN colleagues killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
Israel launches new ground operation in Gaza after airstrikes
