At least 37 Palestinians were killed and more than 100 others injured in a massive Israeli attack on the al-Mughazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, the Gaza-based Health Ministry has said.
Ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qudra said both the victims, most of whom were women and children, and injured people had been transferred from the refugee camp following the Israeli bombing that hit a number of homes, Xinhua news agency reported.
Israel continued its attacks on the Gaza Strip on Sunday, hitting a police station east of the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, which witnessed deadly field clashes, said a Palestinian security source.
The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced on Sunday that its fighters "trapped Israeli forces penetrating east of Khan Younis into a tight ambush after striking them with Al-Yassin 105 shells, heavy sniper weapons, medium weapons, and mortar shells, which led to the destruction of two tanks."
Meanwhile, the Israeli army said its forces had successfully destroyed Hamas tunnels and infrastructure in the areas of its ground offensive, especially in the northern Gaza Strip.
The Israel-Hamas conflict, raging for nearly a month, has led to the deaths of 9,770 Palestinians in Gaza. On the Israeli side, more than 1,400 people lost their lives, the vast majority in the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, which triggered the ongoing conflict.
Iran's top leader meets Hamas, extends support
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei stressed his country's "permanent policy" of supporting the Palestinian resistance forces against Israel in a recent meeting with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Khamenei met with Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of Hamas, and his accompanying delegation in the Iranian capital Tehran, according to a statement published on the leader's website on Sunday, without specifying the date of the meeting.
Khamenei reiterated his praise for the "strong people of Gaza for their patience and resistance", and strongly deplored "Israel's crimes that are being perpetrated with the direct support of the United States and certain Western countries", Xinhua news agency reported.
He also called on Muslim states and the international community to make serious moves and provide the people of Gaza with "all-out and practical" support.
Blinken meets Iraq PM
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Sunday evening and held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani over the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip, according to a statement by al-Sudani's media office.
Al-Sudani reiterated Iraq's call for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of safe corridors to prevent deterioration of the humanitarian crisis, which has tragically affected civilians, including women and children, said a statement.
For his part, Blinken affirmed his country's willingness to continue bilateral coordination and cooperation with Iraq to enhance regional and international stability. After the meeting, Blinken told a press conference that "good progress has been made in the discussions regarding a humanitarian truce in Gaza."
He noted the US does not want any confrontation with Iran, adding "We will make our efforts to ensure that the conflict does not expand beyond Gaza." He said that "a very clear message is sent to those who threaten US military personnel that they should not do so."
According to local media reports, Blinken's visit to Iraq came as part of a tour in the Middle East that included Israel, Jordan, and Palestine, where he met with senior officials to discuss developments in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
(With inputs from IANS)
