Israeli troops claim to encircle Gaza City as Palestinian death toll crosses 9,000

Israeli troops claim to encircle Gaza City as Palestinian death toll crosses 9,000

Gaza (Web Desk): More than 9,000 Palestinians have been martyred in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7 as Israel continued deadly air attacks on Gaza early on Friday and its military claimed to surrounded Gaza City.

According to Palestinian Health Ministry at least 9,061 Palestinians have been martyred including at least 3,760 children and 2,326 women, while at least 32,000 are injured including 6,360 children and 4,891 women.  In Occupied West Bank at least 132 Palestinians were martyred while at least 2,000 were injured.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces have surrounded Gaza city on three sides, operating inside the city, fighting in close quarters and pressing forward despite international calls for ceasefire. The city in the north of the Gaza Strip has become focus of attack for Israel, which has told civilians to flee to the south.

Israeli forces are also attacking cities of West Bank, where Hamas does not govern. 

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On the other hand, the Rafah crossing from Gaza to Egypt is due to open for a third day on Friday for limited evacuations under a Qatari-brokered deal aimed at letting some foreign passport holders, their dependents and some wounded Gazans out of the enclave.

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As per the border officials, more than 700 foreign citizens left for Egypt via Rafah on the two previous days. Dozens of critically injured Palestinians were to cross too.

Bahrain has recalled its Ambassador to Israel and suspended economic ties with Tel Aviv.

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Earlier, Bolivia's government severed diplomatic relations with Israel accusing it of carrying out “crimes against humanity” in Gaza, while Chile and Colombia recalled their ambassadors to Israel in condemnation of its bombardment on Palestinian civilians in Gaza.