Hamas captures Israeli Soldier, kill 18 so far as offensive enters “hottest day”

 

From Gaza comes a report that Hamas military has captured an Israeli soldier just as Israel’s current offensive against the Hamas fighters in Gaza entered its most intense day of fighting, on Sunday July 20. Seventy Palestinians were killed today while Israel lost 13 soldiers, bring current casualty figure to 18.

Abu Obaida, a spokesman for the Al Qassam Brigades, appeared on Hamas TV to announce the soldier had been taken prisoner. Minutes later, there were fireworks and shouts of “God is great!” from loud speakers. But a Israeli military spokeswoman said the army was investigating the claim.

Israeli has so far lost 18 soldiers since the armed forces launched a ground operatin on Thursday The Israeli death toll is now higher than during the Israeli military’s 2009 incursion into Gaza, when the country lost13 soldiers. 

The Washington Post reports that “Israel pummeled an East Gaza neihgbourhood overnight Sunday, producing horrible of bodies in the streets amid masses of ruins. Amost 100 Gaza residents have died in the last 24 hours, making it the highest daily total.

There are also more than 81,000 displaced people seeking refuge in 61 shelters run by the United Nations.

Thousands of panicked residents were pouring out of Shijaiyah in mass flight Sunday morning. The scene at Shifa Medical Center, Gaza’s main hospital, was chaotic. Ambulance drivers reported great difficulty entering the district, which bore the brunt of continuous fire.

After a brief lull at dawn, there was an increase of artillery and tank shelling at midmorning on Sunday. Explosions sounded closer to the center of Gaza City, and the sky was filled with Israeli drones witnessing the exodus of civilians.

Israel’s economy minister Naftali Bennett, one of the coalition government’s hard-liners and a former company commander of special forces, said, “I do not rule out the goal of toppling the Hamas regime.” He said, “there is a world of weapons tunnels penetrating into Israel, creating the possibility of a mega-attack.”