Gaza interior ministry has reported a devastating Israeli airstrike on a residential building in a refugee camp, resulting in the deaths of at least 45 people and leaving many others wounded. The attack, which took place in the densely-populated Jabalia camp, targeted a building that had become a refuge for those fleeing heavy bombing in other parts of the Gaza Strip. Rescue workers are currently searching through the rubble for more bodies, and the death toll is expected to rise.
According to the Anadolu Agency, the victims include members of two families, identified as Shihab and Abu Hemdan, with children and elders among those killed. Medics have transferred the bodies of 44 Palestinians to morgues following the Israeli attacks. The Gaza interior ministry warns that the number of dead may continue to increase as civil defence workers continue their recovery efforts.
The Israeli military launched a sustained military campaign against the Gaza Strip in response to an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Israeli territory. Hamas, which also took at least 100 hostages during the assault, claimed that their actions were in retaliation for the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and the escalating violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.
The health ministry in Gaza has reported that since the beginning of the Israeli airstrikes, 1,537 Palestinians, including 500 children and 276 women, have been killed, and 6,612 others have been wounded. The situation in Gaza has been exacerbated by the Israeli-imposed total siege, which has cut off water and electricity supplies, worsening living conditions in the area that has effectively been an open-air prison since 2007.
Israel’s Energy Minister, Israel Katz, further escalated tensions by declaring that electricity, water, and fuel will not be provided to Gaza until all hostages are released. It is important to note that the Israeli siege is considered a war crime under international law.
Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Gaza, stated that another night of Israeli bombardment has begun in the besieged territory. The al-Saftawi neighborhood was particularly targeted, with a residential building being leveled to the ground without any prior warning.
The situation in Gaza continues to escalate, with civilian lives being lost and the already dire living conditions worsening. The international community is closely monitoring the conflict, urging for an immediate ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
