Deadly Israeli air strikes hit Gaza – Reports

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Hospital officials in northern Gaza report significant casualties following overnight Israeli airstrikes.

Rescue teams began operations early in the morning after at least five buildings were bombed in Beit Lahia and Gaza City.

Hamas-aligned media claim dozens of fatalities, including women and children, with many still trapped under rubble.

The Israeli military has not commented but has recently intensified its northern Gaza offensive, stating its aim is to prevent Hamas from regrouping.

Parts of northern Gaza remain under siege, with the UN warning that no substantial humanitarian aid has reached the area for 40 days.

Medical teams in Gaza report severe challenges in treating the injured, as aid agencies struggle to deliver essential supplies.

Earlier this week, local civil defense officials reported at least 34 deaths, including women and children, following an Israeli airstrike on a five-story residential building in Beit Lahia.

Israel’s ground offensive in northern Gaza has displaced approximately 130,000 people over the past five weeks, with the UN estimating 75,000 still trapped in Beit Lahia, Jabalia, and Beit Hanoun, facing critical shortages of food and water.

Last week’s report by Human Rights Watch said Israel had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity by deliberately causing the mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza.

About 1.9 million people – 90% of Gaza’s population – have fled their homes over the past year, and 79% of the territory is under Israeli-issued evacuation orders, according to the UN.

Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the group’s unprecedented attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, nearly 44,000 people have been killed and over 104,000 injured since the conflict began.

On Wednesday, the United States vetoed a Gaza ceasefire resolution at the UN Security Council for the fourth time during the ongoing conflict.

The resolution, supported by 14 of the 15 council members, called for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent end to the war and the release of all hostages.

Deputy US Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, argued that the resolution failed to establish a necessary connection between a ceasefire and the release of hostages, warning that its adoption could send a “dangerous message” to Hamas.

Separately, US mediator Amos Hochstein arrived in Israel from Beirut, expressing optimism about resolving the conflict in Lebanon.

He noted progress after the Lebanese government and Hezbollah reportedly agreed to a US-proposed ceasefire.