In first, Gaza logs no deaths from overnight Israeli strikes
Smoke rises following an Israeli air strike on a building, amid a flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, in Gaza City May 17, 2021. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
GAZA — Gaza health officials said on Tuesday they had no reports of Palestinians killed overnight in ongoing Israeli strikes on the enclave, the first apparent reduction of casualties since fighting erupted on May 10.
The intensity of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel also waned between midnight and 1000 a.m. (0700 GMT), a Reuters witness said. Israeli rocket alerts indicated the latest salvoes were focussed on border communities rather than targets deeper within Israel.
World powers are pushing for a Gaza truce.
The Israeli military’s chief spokesman, Brigadier-General Hidai Zilberman, said it was continuing to operate in Gaza in accordance with a target list for the coming 24 hours.
“The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is not talking about a ceasefire. We’re focussed on the firing,” he told Army Radio.
Gaza residents counted 60 Israeli strikes overnight.
Officials on both sides have previously said that some Gaza casualties have been buried in collapsed buildings and bunkers, making immediate tallies difficult.
