By Abdul Raouf Arnaut
JERUSALEM (AA) – The Israeli military announced on Monday that it hit 320 targets in Gaza over the past 24 hours.
Over the last 24 hours, the Israeli military maintained a robust airstrike targeting both infrastructure and military targets within the Gaza Strip, the military stated.
It added the targets, which include dozens of rocket launchers and anti-tank missile launch sites, could “pose a threat to the forces preparing for the ground maneuver in Gaza.”
Israeli airstrikes during the same period resulted in hundreds of Palestinian casualties, including women and children, and caused extensive destruction to buildings and infrastructure, according to medical sources.
The conflict in Gaza, under Israeli bombardment since Oct. 7, began when Hamas initiated Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea, and air. It said the incursion was in retaliation for the storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and growing violence by Israeli settlers.
The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli army continues to target Gaza with intensive airstrikes that have destroyed entire neighborhoods, killing 4,651 Palestinians, including 1,873 children and 1,023 women, and injuring 14,245, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
An unknown number of people are also trapped under the rubble.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala