GAZA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 65 Palestinians were killed, and hundreds of others were wounded on Tuesday as a result of the Israeli attacks that targeted central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian security sources said.
The southern city of Khan Younis has witnessed unprecedentedly intense aerial and artillery attacks overnight into Tuesday, which were compounded by ground clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in the eastern and northern parts of the city, as well as continuous advancement of Israel's military vehicles, according to the sources.
Israeli military vehicles attempted to advance towards the western outskirts of Khan Younis to separate it from the central governorate of Gaza, according to the sources.
Around 40 people were killed and dozens of others wounded due to the Israeli airstrikes on the city since last night, said a medical source at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis who wished to remain anonymous.
At least 15 people were killed by an Israeli bombardment on several houses in the town of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, the source added.
In central Gaza, at least 10 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp, the source noted.
Meanwhile, Munir al-Bursh, an official with the Gaza-based Health Ministry, said the Israeli army is besieging Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern area with tanks and military vehicles, adding that a complete power outage has hit the Kamal Adwan Hospital, which houses more than 7,000 displaced people.
Moreover, the Palestinian Civil Defense, Gaza's primary search-and-rescue force, announced the suspension of its operations in Gaza City and its northern areas, since all of its vehicles are out of service due to Israeli bombardment and repeated targeting of the organization's members and vehicles. ■
