Israeli strikes kill at least 17 in Gaza as ground troops enter Palestinian territory's north
Deir al-Balah (Gaza), Apr 4 (AP): Israeli strikes killed more than a dozen people in the Gaza Strip early Friday, as Israel sent more ground troops into the Palestinian territory to ramp up its offensive against Hamas.
At least 17 people, some from the same family, were killed after an airstrike hit the southern city of Khan Younis, according to hospital staff. Hours later, people were still searching through the rubble, looking for survivors.
The attack follows days of Israeli strikes, which have killed at least 100 people, as it intensifies operations, intended to pressure Hamas to release its hostages. On Friday, Israel said it had begun ground activity in northern Gaza, in order to expand its security zone.
Israel's military had issued sweeping evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza before expected ground operations. The UN humanitarian office said around 280,000 Palestinians have been displaced since Israel ended the ceasefire with Hamas last month.
In recent days, Israel's vowed to seize large parts of the Palestinian territory and establish a new security corridor across it.
To pressure Hamas, Israel has imposed a monthlong blockade on food, fuel and humanitarian aid that has left civilians facing acute shortages as supplies dwindle — a tactic that rights groups say is a war crime. Israel said earlier this week that enough food had entered Gaza during a six-week truce to sustain the territory's roughly 2 million Palestinians for a long time.
Hamas says it will only release the remaining 59 hostages — 24 of whom are believed to be alive — in exchange for the release of more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli pullout from Gaza. The group has rejected demands that it lay down its arms or leave the territory.
The predawn strike on Friday hit a three-story building. In addition to the dead, the attack wounded at least 16 people from the same family. Associated Press reporters saw bodies being carried out in blankets, while others searched for people trapped under the rubble and collected charred remains.
“We don't know how to collect them and how to bury them. We don't know whose remains these are. They were burned and dismembered,” said Ismail Al-Aqqad, whose brother died in the strike, as well as his brother's family.
On Thursday, more than 30 bodies, including women and children, were taken to hospitals in and around Khan Younis, according to hospital staff.
Israel said Friday that it had killed a top Hamas commander in a strike in Lebanon's coastal city of Sidon. Israel said that Hassan Farhat was a commander of Hamas' western area in Lebanon and that he was responsible for numerous attacks against Israel, including one in February 2024, which killed an Israeli soldier and injured others.
The war began when Hamas-led group attacked southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages, most of whom have since been released in ceasefire agreements and other deals. Israel rescued eight living hostages and has recovered dozens of bodies.
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza as part of Israel's offensive, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't say whether those killed are civilians or combatants. The ministry says more than half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 Hamas fighters, without providing evidence.
The war has left most of Gaza in ruins, and at its height displaced around 90% of the population.
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Doctor kills his professor wife on suspicion of character, held with brother
Nagpur (PTI): Police have solved the murder case of a woman doctor in Nagpur by arresting her husband, also a doctor, and her brother-in-law who had tried to pass off the incident as a robbery-related crime, an official said on Monday.
The crime stemmed from suspicions over the character of the deceased and arguments between her and her husband, Dr. Anil Rahule, who teaches at a private medical college in Raipur.
According to police, Dr. Rahule allegedly hatched a conspiracy to kill his wife, Dr. Archana, and his brother, Raju Rahule, smashed her head with an iron rod on April 9.
The slain doctor worked as an assistant professor in the physiotherapy department of the Government Medical College and Hospital, police said.
"Dr. Anil Rahule used to doubt the character of his wife, which resulted in frequent arguments between them. He would often fight with her and physically assault her," police said.
The official stated that Dr. Rahule called his brother, Raju, to their residence in Ladikar Layout in Nagpur on April 9.
While Dr. Rahule pinned down his wife by holding her legs, Raju allegedly struck her on the head with an iron rod. After the murder, both brothers locked the house using the central locking system and fled, police said.
Dr Rahule returned to his house on April 12 and raised an alarm, following which police were alerted.
Prima facie, it appeared to be a case of robbery. However, police grew suspicious after noticing that the body had decomposed, indicating that the murder had occurred a few days earlier.
The suspicion deepened when the police observed that Dr. Rahule was uneasy and pretended to faint, the official said.
"He admitted to killing his wife during interrogation, following which he and his brother were arrested. Police are investigating whether there was any other motive," the official added.
