After a week of fierce fighting in the north of the territory, Israeli soldiers have “completed the encirclement of Gaza City”, where the “center of the Hamas terrorist organization” is located, announced the spokesperson for the army, Daniel Hagari, Thursday November 2.

“We are at the heart of the [military] campaign, our successes are impressive,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday during a visit to a military base near Tel Aviv. The leader acknowledged, however, that the operation is “difficult” and that Israel is recording “painful losses.” The army has reported 332 soldiers killed since October 7.

Videos posted by Hamas, which has ruled the Palestinian enclave since 2006, show fighters from the Islamist group emerging from tunnels to attack Israeli tanks, whose progress is made difficult by the destruction. For Hamas’ military wing, “Gaza will be a curse for Israel.” Israelis should expect “the return of more of [their] soldiers in black bags,” the spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades warned on Thursday.

“Minimize harm” for Gazans

Since mid-October, the Israeli army has been calling on the population to flee the north of the Gaza Strip, particularly the very densely populated Gaza City, where bombings have razed entire neighborhoods and where most of the operations are concentrated. military.

Israel also announced on the night of Thursday to Friday to send back to Gaza all the Gazan workers who were on its soil at the time of the Hamas attack – up to 4,000 people, Israeli media estimated.

The head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, is expected in Israel on Friday. The Secretary of State is beginning his second tour of the Middle East since the start of the war triggered by the deadly Hamas attack on October 7. “We are going to talk about concrete steps that can and must be taken to minimize the harm to the men, women and children of Gaza,” Blinken said before leaving Washington.

The visit by Mr. Blinken, who is then due to travel to Jordan, comes at a time when fears of a conflagration are at their highest. US President Joe Biden said on Wednesday he was in favor of a “pause” in the war, even if Washington does not support calls for a ceasefire.

‘Extensive strike’ on Hezbollah targets

Israel announced that it had carried out a “large strike” on Thursday in southern Lebanon on Hezbollah targets, in response to gunfire that targeted its territory. This strike left four dead in the ranks of Hezbollah, according to the Lebanese Shiite group, allied with Hamas and supported by Iran.

The leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, is due to speak on Friday for his first intervention since the start of the war and to indicate whether or not his formation will fully engage in the conflict.

On the Israeli-Lebanese border, daily armed clashes have left 70 dead in southern Lebanon since October 7, according to a count by Agence France-Presse (AFP), including 52 Hezbollah fighters and at least seven civilians. Eight soldiers and one civilian were killed on the Israeli side, according to authorities.

The war has also heightened tensions in the occupied West Bank, where some 130 Palestinians have been killed since October 7 by fire from Israeli soldiers or settlers, according to the Palestinian Authority.

In Israel, at least 1,400 people have been killed according to the authorities since the start of the war, the majority of them civilians massacred on the day of the Hamas attack, on a scale not seen since the creation of Israel in 1948. More than 240 people were taken hostage.

Possible “war crimes”

Since October 9, the “complete siege” imposed by Israel on the Gaza Strip has deprived the population of deliveries of water, food and electricity. The territory had already been under an Israeli land, air and sea blockade since Hamas took power there in 2007. More than 370 humanitarian aid trucks have arrived since October 21, according to the UN, which is calling for aid more massive.

On Thursday, according to a new UN report, 60 injured Palestinians as well as some 400 foreigners were able to leave the territory via Rafah, the only window on the world for the territory besieged by Israel and plunged into a catastrophic humanitarian situation. A first contingent of more than 400 people was evacuated on Wednesday. Egypt has said it is preparing to welcome up to 7,000 foreigners.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that 14 out of a total of 36 hospitals and two specialized centers were no longer operational, due to war and lack of fuel. According to Hamas, Israeli strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday on the Jabaliya refugee camp, the largest in the Gaza Strip, in the north of the territory, left 195 dead and 120 missing. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has said the bombing of the camp, which houses 116,000 refugees, could constitute “war crimes”.