Israel hit one of the largest residential complexes in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip today, according to residents, intensifying pressure on the last area of ​​the enclave it has yet to invade and where more than a million displaced Palestinians have found refuge.

The 12-story building, located about 500 meters from the Egyptian border, was damaged in the raid. Dozens of families were left homeless, although there are currently no reports of casualties, according to residents. The Israeli military has not yet responded to a request for comment.

One of the building’s 300 residents told Reuters that Israel had given them 30 minutes to leave at night.

“People were scared, they were running in panic on the stairs, some fell, there was chaos. People left behind their belongings and their money,” said Mohammad Al-Nabris, adding that among those who stumbled on the steps during the evacuation was the pregnant wife of a friend.

A Fatah official from Rafah expressed fears that the strike on the high-rise building in Rafah is a sign of an imminent Israeli invasion.

Five months after Israel’s air and ground assault on Gaza, health authorities have announced that nearly 31,000 Palestinians have been killed, more than 72,500 have been injured and thousands are trapped under the rubble.

Israeli operations have plunged the Palestinian enclave, already shaken by a 17-year Israeli blockade, into a humanitarian disaster. Much of the region has been reduced to rubble and most of its population of 2.3 million displaced, with the UN warning of disease and famine.

Children dead from dehydration

Three children died of dehydration and malnutrition at Al Shifa hospital overnight, Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Kindra said. Kindra said the casualties bring to 23 the number of Palestinians who have died of similar causes in nearly 10 days.

“This brutal war has shattered all notions of common humanity,” said Miriana Spoliaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

She called for an end to hostilities to allow a meaningful distribution of aid to Gaza, for Hamas to release all hostages unconditionally, and for Israel to humanely manage Palestinian prisoners and allow them to communicate with their families.

The war was sparked by an October 7 attack by Hamas in southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 253 were taken hostage, according to an Israeli count.

Negotiations to reach a ceasefire and release the 134 hostages remaining in Gaza appear to be stalling ahead of the desired date for the start of the holy month of Ramadan, which begins around March 10.

A Hamas source told Reuters the group’s delegation was “unlikely” to make another visit to Cairo at the weekend for talks. Hamas blames the lack of progress in the negotiations on Israel, which has so far refused to give guarantees or commit to an end to the war or the withdrawal of its forces from the Gaza Strip.

In a statement about its operations in Gaza for the previous day, the Israeli military said it had arrested, recovered weapons and killed more than 30 militants in Khan Younis, including in the Hamad area, central Gaza and the Beit area. Hanun, north.

Gaza’s health ministry announced that at least 82 people were killed in Israeli attacks along the Gaza Strip yesterday.