CAIRO: Israel bombed areas of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip overnight, with fighting throughout Sunday morning, residents and Palestinian media said, as the Israeli military announced a mounting death toll in clashes with Hamas militants.
Israel says it has achieved almost complete operational control over northern Gaza and is preparing to expand a ground offensive to other areas.
The Israeli military appeared to be meeting stiff resistance. It said on Sunday eight soldiers had been killed in the Strip, bringing to 154 its published combat losses since it began its ground incursion. The White House said US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had discussed the Israeli campaign.
Biden “emphasised the critical need to protect the civilian population including those supporting the humanitarian aid operation, and the importance of allowing civilians to move safely away from areas of ongoing fighting”, the White House said in a statement.
“The leaders discussed the importance of securing the release of all remaining captives,” the White House said.
Israel’s main ally has maintained its support while expressing concern over the casualty toll and humanitarian crisis in Gaza. US officials have said they expect Israel to shift soon to a lower-intensity phase.
Netanyahu, speaking at a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, dismissed reports that the United States had convinced Israel not to expand its military campaign. The Wall Street Journal reported that Netanyahu was persuaded by Biden not to attack the groups in neighbouring Lebanon out of concerns it would launch an attack on Israel.
“Israel is a sovereign state,” Netanyahu said. “Our decisions in the war are based on our operational considerations, and I will not elaborate on that.”
The UN Security Council averted a threatened US veto on Friday, after days of wrangling, by removing from a draft resolution a call for an immediate end to the war and diluting Israeli control over aid deliveries. — Reuters
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