Gaza [Palestine], September 14: Israeli strikes killed at least 40 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Friday, local health authorities said, most of them in Gaza City, where many residents are staying put despite Israeli evacuation orders because they have nowhere safe to go.
Israel has stated its intention to take full control of the ruined city, where about a million people are sheltering, as part of its plan to wipe out the militant group Hamas, and has been intensifying its attacks.
"The explosions never stopped since yesterday," said father-of-two Adel, 60, who lives in Gaza City close to Beach refugee camp. He did not wish to give his full name for safety reasons.
"Many families left their homes and that is what the occupation wants," he told Reuters via a chat app. "By these bombardments they are telling people 'You either leave your area or die there'."
The army said it had completed five waves of air strikes on Gaza City this week, targeting more than 500 sites, and that it had destroyed reconnaissance and sniper sites, buildings containing tunnel openings and weapons depots.
In a statement, it said it would "continue to intensify the pace of strikes in a focused manner, based on precise intelligence, with the aim of hitting Hamas' infrastructure".
Palestinian health authorities said several deadly strikes had hit targets in the south of the territory, where some of those fleeing the bombardment of Gaza City have been heading.
Amjad Al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGOs Network, which liaises with the U.N. and international aid groups, told Reuters an estimated 10% of people in Gaza City had left since Israel announced its plan to take control a month ago.
Source:Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
