The number of martyrs has exceeded 31,700 martyrs since last October 7 (French)

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said that the Israeli occupation committed 8 massacres in the Strip during the past 24 hours, killing 81 martyrs and 116 injured, noting that the death toll of the aggression had risen to 31,726 martyrs, since last October 7, while Israel announced its readiness to "Huge activity" in Rafah after its residents were evacuated west.

She pointed out that there are still a number of victims under the rubble and on the roads, and ambulance and civil defense crews cannot reach them.

Israeli raids and bombing continue for the 164th day in a row, as Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported that a number of Palestinians were martyred and others injured as a result of an Israeli bombing that targeted a house on Al-Jalaa Street in Gaza City.

Al Jazeera's correspondent also reported that a number of Palestinians were martyred and others injured as a result of an Israeli raid that targeted a house on Lababidi Street in Gaza City.

This comes as video scenes showed clouds of smoke rising as a result of two Israeli raids on targets on Al-Jalaa Street and its environs, northwest of Gaza City.

These developments coincide with the displacement of hundreds of families from shelter centers and homes surrounding the Al-Shifa Medical Complex, which has been witnessing an incursion by Israeli vehicles since the early hours of dawn.

Rafah operation

In parallel, Israel announced on Monday its intention to carry out what it called a huge activity in the city of Rafah in the far south of the Gaza Strip, after the Palestinians were evacuated to the western area of ​​the city.

Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz told the Hebrew Broadcasting Authority (official): “Of course, we will move in Rafah (on the border with Egypt) and before the massive activity, we will evacuate the citizens from there, not to the north, but to the western region.”

In recent weeks, Israeli officials have repeatedly announced their rejection of the return of displaced Palestinians from the south of the Gaza Strip to its north towards the border fence separating Israel.

Katz continued: “There are Arab countries (which he did not name) that can, within a humanitarian framework, help in setting up tents or other things, and we have no interest in fighting the residents of Rafah.”

For some time now, regional and international warnings have been mounting about the repercussions of any Israeli ground invasion of Rafah, which is home to about 1.4 million displaced Palestinians who were pushed by the Israeli army into the area, claiming that it was safe, and then later launched attacks on it that left martyrs and wounded.

Katz considered, "When we have to move in Rafah, I do not see a gap between the United States and Israel, including the evacuation of civilians."

American support

Katz's statement comes the day after John Kirby, coordinator of strategic communications at the US National Security Council, confirmed that his country will not support any major Israeli military operation in Rafah without an implementable plan that guarantees the security and safety of 1.4 million displaced people.

On March 15, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced, in a statement, that the latter had approved plans to carry out a military operation in Rafah, and the army was preparing to evacuate the population.

Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli army has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, leaving tens of thousands of civilian victims, most of them children and women, which led to Israel appearing, in a historic precedent, before the International Court of Justice on charges of committing genocide.

Israel restricts humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip, where about 2.2 million Palestinians live, causing a scarcity of food, water, medicine and fuel supplies and creating a famine that has claimed the lives of children and the elderly, in light of the presence of about two million displaced people.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies