Israeli warplanes launch 170 airstrikes across Gaza in 24 hours, army says

JERUSALEM/ISTANBUL

The Israeli army said Thursday that its warplanes carried out more than 170 strikes across the Gaza Strip over the past day, as ground operations continued in Gaza City and other parts of the enclave.

In a statement, the military alleged that its 162nd Division was “fighting deep inside Gaza City,” and that “several sites used for ambushes against IDF (army) troops in the area were struck, along with additional weapons storage facilities.”

The army further claimed that its 98th and 36th divisions carried out attacks in Gaza City, while in the north, the 99th Division was “dismantling above-ground and underground infrastructure.” It said an ambush post containing explosives was discovered and destroyed.

The army also said its warplanes targeted Palestinian fighters and what it called “military structures, weapons depots and other sites” across the enclave during the past day.

The Israeli army has killed more than 65,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.