At least 50 people killed in Israeli strikes on homes, camps in Gaza

At least 50 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes across Gaza, Palestinian medics say, as Israeli tanks push into northern parts of the Khan Younis area in southern Gaza.

Medics said at least 20 people were killed and others wounded in an Israeli attack on Wednesday on a tent encampment in al-Mawasi near Khan Younis. The Palestinian Civil Defence said the attack set several tents housing displaced families ablaze.

The number of fatalities was anticipated to increase.

According to Mahmoud, hospitalized patients faced a likelihood of dying due to the lack of medical attention, supplies, and adequate staff.

He mentioned, “This isn’t the first occurrence of such a situation. Frustration is mounting among the displaced people in the al-Mawasi evacuation zone. Initially, the Israeli military instructed them to evacuate to avoid bombings in this catastrophic conflict, yet they frequently become victims of these erratic attacks.”

According to the Civil Defence, an Israeli air strike in Gaza City resulted in the deaths of at least 10 people when it struck three houses. Numerous victims remained trapped beneath the debris as rescue efforts continued.

According to medics, 11 individuals lost their lives in three air strikes targeting central Gaza, including six children and a healthcare worker. They reported that five of the victims were standing in line outside a bakery.

Additionally, nine Palestinians were killed by tank fire in Rafah near the Egyptian border, medics stated.

‘Extremely urgent’

According to hospital director Hussam Abu Safiya, Israeli forces targeted Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, for the fifth consecutive day. On Tuesday night, three medical staff members were injured, with one in critical condition.

“Drones are releasing shrapnel-filled bombs that wound anyone who attempts to move,” Abu Safiya stated. “The situation is extremely urgent.”

He reported that over 100 patients in the besieged hospital are at risk, as Israeli forces block access to the nearby al-Awda Hospital.

Residents of Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoon, the main towns in the north, reported that Israeli forces have demolished dozens of homes.

Palestinians claim that the Israeli army aims to force people out of northern Gaza by threatening those who stay with death and conducting bombings to establish a buffer zone. The Israeli military has encircled the area since launching a renewed ground offensive nearly two months ago.

The siege has intensified an already severe humanitarian crisis, with famine on the horizon.

Hamas condemned the bombings of homes in Beit Lahiya and the targeting of Kamal Adwan Hospital as “an insistence on the ongoing war” and “genocide” in Gaza.

In a statement, the group accused Israel of blatantly ignoring international law, criticizing the international community’s failure to halt these “horrific crimes.”

Hamas claimed that Israeli actions are conducted “under the full cover and protection of the American administration and some Western capitals.”

In Khan Younis, residents informed Reuters news agency that Israeli tanks advanced following new evacuation warnings from the military, citing rocket fire from Palestinian groups in the area.

With shells falling close to residential zones, families evacuated their homes on Wednesday, heading west towards al-Mawasi. Although designated by the Israeli military as a “safe zone,” al-Mawasi has repeatedly come under attack.

Palestinian and United Nations officials reported that there are no longer any safe areas in Gaza, with nearly all of its 2.3 million residents having been displaced multiple times.

Since it began in October last year, Israel’s military campaign has killed over 44,500 Palestinians, injured many more, and left much of the enclave in ruins.

Last week, Israel reached a ceasefire agreement with the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, pausing most hostilities in the conflict occurring in Lebanon alongside the Gaza war.

However, the conflict in Gaza has persisted, with only one ceasefire occurring over a year ago, which lasted for just a week.

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