The death toll from five days of intense clashes between Hamas and Israel witnessed a significant increase overnight, surging way beyond thousands on both Israeli and Palestinian sides, as Israel continued its relentless bombardment of Gaza on Wednesday.
Israel has claimed to have recaptured the Gaza border areas that were invaded by Hamas during Saturday's assault. The Israeli military is sustaining intense bombardments on the Palestinian enclave through air, land, and sea operations.
Israel's military has also confirmed responding to artillery fire and shelling originating from Lebanon and Syria in the northern region. The conflict, marked by escalating hostilities, raises concerns about the evolving dynamics in the volatile region.
On Wednesday, an Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson claimed that more than 1,200 Israelis have been killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict, while officials from Gaza claimed more than 900 people killed.
"The death toll is a staggering 1,200 dead Israelis," IDF spokesperson Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said in a video message, adding "the overwhelming majority of them" were civilians.
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On the other hand, a Hamas government official said at least 30 people were killed and hundreds wounded as Israel pounded the Gaza Strip with hundreds of air strikes overnight. The group said two of its senior officials had also been killed.
Dozens of residential buildings, factories, mosques and shops were hit, the head of the government's media office, Salama Marouf, told AFP. The Israeli military confirmed it had hit several Hamas targets during the night.
It said fighter jets destroyed "advanced detection systems" that Hamas used to spot military aircraft.
They also hit 80 Hamas targets in the Beit Hanoun area of the northeastern Gaza Strip, including two bank branches used by the group to "fund terrorism" in the enclave, the military said.
Air strikes also hit a weapons storage facility, and an operational command centre used by the Islamic Jihad militant group, it added.
Israeli fighters jets also struck the Islamic University in Gaza City, according to an AFP correspondent and an official with the Hamas-linked institution said. "The intense air strikes destroyed completely some buildings of the Islamic University," Ahmed Orabi of the university management told AFP.
Evacuations
In the midst of the full-blown war, several countries have initiated operations to evacuate their citizens, while others are planning repatriation efforts in the coming days.
Argentina:
Argentina, home to the largest Jewish population in Latin America, has commenced the evacuation of over 1,200 of its citizens from Israel. Three air force flights daily will transport these individuals to Rome, from where they will be flown to Buenos Aires by the state-owned airlines.
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Brazil:
The Brazilian government is mobilizing at least six planes to expedite the repatriation of its citizens from Israel and the Palestinian territories. Approximately 14,000 Brazilians reside in Israel, and 6,000 in the Palestinian territories, with some having already left on commercial flights.
Nigeria:
Over 300 Nigerian citizens, who fled to Jordan from Israel during a Christian pilgrimage, have been airlifted back home. Organized by the Lagos state government and the Nigerian Christian Pilgrims' Commission, the group traveled by road to Jordan and then took a chartered flight to Lagos.
Switzerland:
Swiss International Air Lines is set to send a special flight to Tel Aviv to repatriate Swiss nationals. Around 28,000 Swiss citizens and their families are officially registered in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Spain:
Spain has organized a flight from Tel Aviv to repatriate 200 people, with the flight departing overnight to Wednesday, according to its foreign ministry.
South Korea:
A flight carrying 192 South Korean citizens departed from Tel Aviv, landing at Incheon International Airport near Seoul. Additionally, 30 more South Korean nationals will be evacuated later in the week by commercial flights, while 27 others, on a Christian pilgrimage in Israel, will travel by road to Jordan.
Canada:
The Canadian government announced plans to organize special flights from Tel Aviv later in the week for Canadian nationals, with assistance from the Canadian military.
France:
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna revealed that a special Air France flight from Tel Aviv is being organized on Thursday by the ministry's crisis unit to assist in repatriating any French nationals unable to leave.
