As Israeli troops move forward towards Gaza, it seems that hundreds of American citizens are preparing to depart from the conflict-ridden area.
Israeli troops pushed into Gaza City on Thursday morning, facing heavy opposition from Hamas fighters, according to the Israeli military.
Several hundred American citizens seemed ready to leave Gaza.
Enter Egypt by crossing the border.
During a press briefing on Thursday, Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces, stated that IDF soldiers are making progress in the Gaza City region and engaging in hand-to-hand combat with members of Hamas, while also expanding the scope of the conflict.
Hagari stated that the Israeli military had attacked Hamas positions in response to their launching of mortar rockets aimed at Israel. He also reported that IDF troops had engaged in combat with a significant number of terrorists who attempted to surprise them.
The Reuters news agency reported on Thursday that Hamas fighters, along with militants from their ally Islamic Jihad, are utilizing guerrilla tactics by emerging from underground tunnels to attack Israeli tanks and then retreating back into the tunnel networks.
According to Reuters, Israeli troops were approaching the primary residential area in the northern region of the Gaza Strip, which is home to Hamas and where Israeli authorities have advised civilians to evacuate.
2008 war.
Gaza, a small territory controlled by Palestinians, has been continuously targeted by airstrikes from Israel following the 2008 conflict.
Hamas militants launched a violent attack into the borders of Israel.
A violent event occurred on October 7, resulting in over 1,400 fatalities and numerous individuals being held hostage.
The bombardment of Gaza
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the enclave of 2.3 million people has resulted in the deaths of 9,061 individuals, including 3,760 children.
As the conflict continues, numerous U.S. citizens who were stuck in Gaza seemed poised to depart the region torn apart by war, as non-citizens continued to enter Egypt via the Rafah border crossing, which was recently opened for the first time since the Oct. 7 assaults.
The Gaza Interior Ministry, controlled by Hamas, published a roster containing the names of 400 American citizens who were granted permission to enter the border on Thursday. According to the U.S. State Department, approximately 400 Americans have been stranded in Gaza.
Five NGO employees, who have been identified as Americans, were listed by the Gaza interior ministry as being allowed to cross on Wednesday. Each of these five individuals were confirmed by their humanitarian organizations to have successfully crossed over into Egypt, according to statements provided to CBS News.
A complete closure of Gaza prevented anyone from exiting the heavily damaged area for more than three weeks until the border crossing was finally opened on Wednesday. According to reports, over the past 24 hours, hundreds of foreign citizens and some injured Palestinians have crossed over.
The Egyptian foreign ministry announced on Thursday that they will provide aid in evacuating approximately 7,000 individuals from the Gaza Strip who are foreigners or hold dual citizenship. These individuals come from over 60 different countries.
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Source: cbsnews.com