GAZA CITY, Palestine

Israeli warplanes on Sunday destroyed water supply lines in the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, as well as their connecting roads during heavy bombing on the southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli fighters bombed the water supply pipes connecting the city of Khan Younis to Rafah in an attempt to cut off water supplies, eyewitnesses told Anadolu.

The army also launched intense airstrikes on a main road connecting the two cities, completely destructing it, local sources said.

Israel is tightening its siege on Khan Younis by cutting off its water and obstructing the arrival of aid and food supplies to it, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

Late last month, the Israeli army ordered residents of Khan Younis to evacuate and then launched a ground military operation in the city, including a 24-hour aerial bombardment, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries.

Hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are crowded in Khan Younis after fleeing the northern Gaza Strip due to intensified Israeli bombardment and ground offensive in the area.

Khan Younis currently has a population of around 600,000 people, including those displaced by Israeli bombings, making it the most populous city in the Gaza Strip.

Israel resumed its military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after the end of a week-long humanitarian pause with Hamas.

At least 17,700 Palestinians have been killed and more than 48,780 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following the cross-border attack by Hamas.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi