Israel strikes Rafah, 37 killed

Israel launched a special forces operation that freed two Israeli hostages in Rafah amid air strikes early on Monday, which local health officials said killed 37 people and wounded dozens in the southern Gaza city.

According to the Rafah locals, many were asleep when the attack began on Monday. Israeli fighter jets, tanks and warships took part in the attack. Two mosques and several houses collapsed due to heavy bombardment and shelling. Suddenly, extreme panic spread throughout Rafah in this attack. Many fear that Israel has begun its ground offensive in Rafah.

On the same day, Israel's military said it had launched "several consecutive" strikes in southern Gaza that had "ended"; But they did not provide any details. The Israeli military has previously ordered Palestinian civilians to leave the area without a specific evacuation plan before launching an attack on a city in Gaza.