The Zionist aggression on Gaza proceeds for the day 102, with relentless Israeli air strikes targeting several areas across the besieged enclave and the resistance keeping up its operations, both to repel Israeli advance attempts and to launch rockets towards occupied territories.
Largest Rocket Barrage
Although 102 days have passed, and despite Israeli claims that the occupation army allegedly “dismantled Hamas’ battalion frameworks”, the Palestinian resistance fired the largest rocket barrage in several weeks.
Both Palestinian and Israeli media reported that more than 50 rockets were fired from Gaza at the city of Netivot in the Gaza envelope.
Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for the launch.
Videos circulated on social media showed rockets being fired from the Gaza Strip at the city. Another footage showed one of the rockets narrowly missing a group of Israeli settlers working in an open area.
At least 20 of the projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome over the area, while some rockets landed in Netivot and a nearby settlement, causing damage, Israeli media reported.
Israelis Alarmed
Following the rocket barrage, Israeli National Unity party minister Gideon Sa’ar called for convening the war cabinet.
Sa’ar said the body, of which he is an observer, “needs to discuss the continuation of the war in the Gaza Strip and the way it is being handled.”
“The reduction of the intensity and activities of the IDF in the Strip and the drawdown of forces there is a mistake,” Sa’ar said referring to IOF (Israeli occupation forces).
“We need to decide to increase the pressure on Hamas. We also need to decide that changes to the combat situation be based on advances and achieving goals and not a timetable,” he added, as quoted by The Times of Israel.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese media cited some Hebrew media outlets as slamming the Israeli military performance.
“Yesterday, a barrage of more than 10 rockets fell on Sderot. This morning, a barrage of 50 rockets fell on Netivot, all of them fired from northern Gaza. This is not how you win a war. This is exactly how we return to the situation that preceded the 7t of October, and you want the settlers to return to their homes?!,” Lebanese media quoted the Hebrew media as commenting on the continuous rocket launch from Gaza.
Confrontations and Israeli Casualties
Meanwhile, the Palestinian resistance groups announced their fighters have been engaged in ferocious clashes with occupation forces on several axes, with confrontations concentrating in Gaza city.
On Tuesday, Al-Qassam Brigades announced its fighters targeted two Israeli vehicles in Sheikh Radwan Neighborhood and near Tal Al-Hawa, both in Gaza city. The resistance group declared that the fighters employed Shawaz and Yassine-105 projectiles against the Israeli vehicles.
It also announced that its fighters fired heavy mortar rounds at gatherings of Israeli soldiers in Khan Younis.
For its part, the occupation army announced the death of an Israeli soldier and the injury of two other troops in the ongoing ground battles in Gaza. Later on Tuesday, the occupation army declared the death of another soldier, saying he was injured in Gaza battles earlier in later December.
⚡️Another smiling zionist terrorist was announced liquidated in Gaza, he found out pic.twitter.com/bUqetiVrjE
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) January 16, 2024
The latest numbers bring to 190 the death toll of Israeli occupation soldiers in Gaza since the start of the ground offensive, and to 525 the number of occupation soldiers killed since the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in October 7th.
Non-Stop Strikes and Death Toll
As the Israeli strikes spared no area across the besieged enclave, Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said the death toll of the aggression neared 24,500.
The ministry said the Israeli occupation carried out 15 massacres in the last 24 hours, killing 158 people and injuring 320 others.
Innocent children and women remain a number-one target of the ongoing Israeli war of genocide on Gaza on its 102nd day. pic.twitter.com/L8mmRR6iHG
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) January 16, 2024
The latest figures take to 24,285 the Palestinian death toll since the start of the aggression, as the number of injured people reached 61,154, according to the Health Ministry.
Palestinian media said air strikes concentrated on Khan Younis, Gaza city, Rafah and other areas in northern Gaza Strip.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
