By AFP More by this AuthorIsraeli troops and Hamas militants engaged Tuesday in "fierce battles" in Gaza, where the dire humanitarian crisis spiralled and tearful Palestinian families scoured rubble in a desperate search for loved ones. Footage from the Israeli military showed tanks and armoured bulldozers churning up bomb-scarred dirt tracks and troops searching shattered buildings for Hamas militants and the 240 hostages still missing. The army said its forces were "engaged in fierce battles with Hamas terrorists deep inside the Gaza Strip", killing dozens of militants. Hamas also released footage of battles within Gaza, including what it said was a military vehicle on fire. Other families have endured an unbearable wait for news of relatives seized by Hamas militants and thought to be held in a labyrinth of tunnels in Gaza.

Source: Daily Nation October 31, 2023 21:28 UTC