World
Gaza at war: Israeli strikes kill 42 people in northern part of enclave
Reuters reports one strike on houses in Al-Shati, one of Gaza Strip’s eight historic refugee camps, resulted in 24 fatalities, reported Ismail Al-Thawabta
At least 42 people were killed in Israeli strikes on districts of Gaza City in the northern part of the Palestinian enclave on Saturday, according to the director of the government media office run by Hamas.
One strike on houses in Al-Shati, one of Gaza Strip’s eight historic refugee camps, resulted in 24 fatalities, reported Ismail Al-Thawabta. Another 18 Palestinians lost their lives in a strike on houses in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood. The Israeli military issued a brief statement, saying: “A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck two Hamas military infrastructure sites in the area of Gaza City.”
More details were promised soon.
Hamas did not comment on the Israeli claim of hitting its military infrastructure but issued a statement saying the attacks targeted civilians and vowed that "the occupation and its Nazi leaders will pay the price for their violations against our people.”
Footage showed dozens of Palestinians searching for victims amidst the rubble of destroyed houses, with scenes of wrecked homes and debris filling the streets in the Shati refugee camp.
Israel’s ground and air campaign in Gaza was triggered when Hamas stormed into southern Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli sources.
The offensive has devastated Gaza, resulting in over 37,400 deaths, with 101 people killed in the past 24 hours, according to Palestinian health authorities, and has left nearly the entire population homeless and destitute.
More than eight months into the conflict, Israel’s focus is now on the last two areas yet to be seized: Rafah on Gaza’s southern edge and the area surrounding Deir al-Balah in the center.
Residents reported that Israeli tanks have recently deepened their incursion into western and northern Rafah areas. On Saturday, Israeli forces bombed several areas by air and ground, forcing many families in humanitarian-designated zones to flee northwards.
The Israeli military stated that forces continued "precise, intelligence-based" operations in Rafah, killing many Palestinian fighters and dismantling military infrastructure.
On Friday, the Gaza health ministry reported that at least 25 Palestinians were killed in Mawasi in western Rafah, with 50 wounded. Palestinians claimed a tank shell hit a tent housing displaced families.
The Israeli military said the incident was under review. “An initial inquiry suggests that there is no indication that a strike was carried out by the IDF in the Humanitarian Area in Al-Mawasi,” it said.