Credits: CNBC
Israeli forces advanced further into towns on the eastern side of Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Thursday, shortly after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed U.S. lawmakers of his efforts to secure the release of hostages.
Recent fighting has focused on the eastern towns of Bani Suaila, Al-Zanna, and Al-Karara. On Wednesday, the Israeli army reported finding the bodies of five Israelis killed in the Hamas attack on October 7, whose bodies had been held in Gaza.
Hamas militants took over 250 hostages during the early morning raid into southern Israel and killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures. In retaliation, Israel vowed to eliminate Hamas in Gaza, resulting in a nine-month conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 39,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health officials.
Several individuals were wounded in the eastern towns due to Israeli tank and aerial shelling, and an airstrike east of Khan Younis killed four people, Palestinian health officials reported.
Israeli bombardment intensified in Rafah, near the Egyptian border, with tanks operating in the north, west, and town center, according to residents and medics. Several Palestinians were also wounded by Israeli fire earlier on Thursday.
The Israeli military stated that its forces in Khan Younis had killed dozens of militants and dismantled around 50 military infrastructures. Activities in Rafah continued, resulting in the deaths of two militants.
In a speech to the U.S. Congress, Netanyahu emphasized his government’s active involvement in seeking the release of remaining hostages and expressed confidence in their success.