Renewed Israeli strikes in Gaza lead UN to reduce its staff

Over in the Middle East.

Israel looks to be expanding its ground operations across the Gaza Strip.

Making matters worse, numbers of international UN staff there will be reduced following the death of a UN staff member at a time when there's a growing need for humanitarian help.

Cha Yun-kyung has more.

Gaza's health authorities said on Monday that at least 730 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli military resumed airstrikes across the enclave last week, ending a two-month truce. Israeli troops have been attacking the northern Gaza border town of Beit Hanoun and the southern city of Rafah and also have destroyed over 100 pickup trucks belonging to Hamas. The Health Ministry of Gaza said that Palestinian death toll in the enclave has passed 50-thousand from the 17-month war.

Wall Street Journal reported that Israel's military seems to expand its ground operations across the Gaza Strip to occupy its security zone in Gaza. Meanwhile, the United Nations announced on Monday that it is reducing its international staff numbers in Gaza due to the risk to its staff. The spokesman said about 30 percent of the international staff in Gaza were being withdrawn.

" The strikes hitting a U.N. compound in Deir al-Balah on March 19th were caused by an Israeli tank shell "

Israel denied that it was responsible for the strike.

Meanwhile, the air-raid alarm was sounded in Tel Aviv on Monday as a missile was launched at Israel by Yemen's Houthis rebels.

Cha Yun-kyung, Arirang News.