Israeli strikes in Gaza claim 165 lives, injured 250 within 24-hour span

Gaza, The Gulf Observer: At least 165 Palestinians have been killed and 250 wounded in Israeli strikes in Gaza during the past 24 hours, the Gaza health ministry in the besieged enclave has said.

Residents in the urban refugee camps of Nuseirat and Bureij, two recent hot spots of Israeli attacks, reported Israeli air strikes overnight and into Saturday.

With Israeli forces pushing deeper into Khan Younis and the camps of central Gaza, tens of thousands of Palestinians have streamed into the already crowded city of Rafah at the southernmost end of Gaza in recent days.

The United States has shielded Israel diplomatically and has continued to supply weapons.

The State Department said Friday that Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Congress he approved a $147.5 million sale for equipment, including fuses, charges and primers, that is needed for 155 mm shells Israel bought previously.

It marked the second time this month that the Biden administration is bypassing Congress to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel.