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Israel bombarded Gaza and pressed its ground operations on Thursday after issuing what it called a “last warning” for Palestinians to return hostages and remove Hamas from power. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
Israel military says intercepted missile from Yemen
Israel said it intercepted a missile launched from Yemen on Thursday, as the Iran-backed rebels claimed to have targeted Ben Gurion international airport.
“A missile launched from Yemen was intercepted… prior to crossing into Israeli territory,” Israel’s military said.
Israel restarts ground operations, issues ‘last warning’ to Gazans
Israel resumed ground operations in Gaza on Wednesday and issued what it called a “last warning” for Palestinians to return hostages and remove Hamas from power.
The operation followed Israel’s most intense air strikes on Gaza since a truce took hold in January, killing more than 400 people, according to the territory’s health ministry.
The Israeli military said it had “begun targeted ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip to expand the security perimeter and create a partial buffer between the north and south”.
As Israel defied calls from foreign governments to preserve the ceasefire, Gazans were left to once again comb through rubble to find the bodies of their loved ones.
- Israel launched an investigation into a UN worker’s death in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, a foreign ministry spokesman said, after the military denied responsibility for the deadly blast.
- The US State Department said that there was still “a bridge proposal on the table that would extend the ceasefire” in Gaza but the opportunity for it was “closing fast.”
- Hamas has yet to respond militarily to the latest Israeli attacks, and said on Wednesday it remained open to negotiations, urging the international community to “take urgent action”.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
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