Israeli tanks reported in the center of Khan Yunis
In Khan Younès, Sunday December 10, 2023. IBRAHEEM ABU MUSTAFA / Portal
Israeli tanks have arrived in the center of Khan Younes, the capital in the south of the Gaza Strip, which has become the scene of the most serious clashes, the Portal news agency reports, citing witnesses. According to local residents, the armored vehicles reached the main artery between the north and south of the city after heavy fighting overnight that slowed their advance from the eastern neighborhoods, and the Israeli Air Force bombed the sector west of the tank breakthrough.
“It was one of the most excruciating nights. The resistance was very strong. Gunfire and explosions could be heard and continued for hours, a father who requested anonymity and arrived in Khan Younes in the north of the country after fleeing Gaza City told Portal. The tanks reached Gamal Abdel Nasser Street, which is in the city center. Snipers took up positions on the roofs of buildings in the neighborhood. »
The vast majority of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been forced to flee since Israel's response to the Hamas attack in southern Israel began on October 7. Some have even been postponed several times. According to Palestinian Islamic Jihad, an ally of Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, members of the movement are fighting Israeli forces in the region. The Israeli army said it bombed access shafts to tunnels in Khan Yunis and attacked a commando of armed Palestinians who were preparing an ambush. She didn't mention the progress of her tanks.
Both camps also reported heavy fighting in the north of the enclave, where the Israeli army said last month it had accomplished most of its mission. Explosions occurred in the area at dawn and columns of smoke could be seen from Israeli territory.