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Israeli forces killed at least 50 Palestinians in aerial and ground bombardments across the Gaza Strip on Thursday and battled in close combat with Hamas fighters in areas of the southern city of Rafah, health officials and Hamas media said.
Israeli tanks advanced in Rafah's southeast, edged towards the city's western district of Yibna and continued to operate in three eastern suburbs, residents said.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant reaffirmed that the military would assault Rafah and commit more ground and air units into the operation.
Simultaneous Israeli assaults on the northern and southern edges of Gaza this month have caused a new exodus of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fleeing their homes, and have cut off the main access routes for aid, raising the risk of famine.
Israel's war on Gaza has killed more than 35,800 Palestinians and wounded over 80,000 others, with much of the enclave left in rubble.