Israel-Gaza: Israel says it has arrested hundreds of Hamas and Islamic Jihad members

Israel says it has arrested 200 members of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad groups in the past week and taken them into its territory for questioning.

A statement said some of the suspects had been hiding among the civilian population and surrendered voluntarily.

Israel says 700 Palestinian militants have been arrested since it launched its military operation and invasion of Gaza with the aim of eliminating Hamas.

Hamas says mostly women and children are being killed by the Israelis.

The BBC is unable to verify the claims.

Israel has previously stressed that it takes steps to avoid civilian casualties, and blames Hamas for embedding itself in densely-populated areas.

Israel launched its retaliatory operation after Hamas fighters crossed from Gaza into southern Israel on 7 October, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages.

More than 20,000 people have been killed and 53,000 injured in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Its update on Saturday said another 201 people had been killed and 368 others injured in the previous day alone.

The UN earlier announced that its aid worker Issam al-Mughrabi, 56, had been killed in a strike – along with his wife, children and more than 70 members of his extended family.

Israel announced that five more of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in Gaza, bringing the total to 144 to since it launched its ground operation.

The military has kept up its bombing campaign in Gaza – ordering civilians to flee.

On Saturday, it said one of its fighter jets had killed Hassah Atrash, a man it accused of smuggling weapons into Gaza to arm Hamas. There was no confirmation from Hamas.

In a separate development on Saturday, US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed in a phone call Israel’s ongoing military operation in Gaza.

Mr Biden “emphasised the critical need to protect the civilian population including those supporting the humanitarian aid operation, and the importance of allowing civilians to move safely away from areas of ongoing fighting”, the White House said.

Meanwhile, Mr Netanyahu “made it clear that Israel would continue the war until all of its goals have been achieved”, the Israeli PM’s office said. (BBC)

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