Recent air strikes on Gaza have resulted in significant civilian casualties, with at least 38 lives lost in just half an hour, according to local medical sources.
Intensified Israeli Strikes in Gaza Result in High Casualty Count
Intensified Israeli Strikes in Gaza Result in High Casualty Count
A report from Gaza by medics indicates escalating violence as Israeli air strikes kill 38 Palestinians in a brief series of attacks.
In a sharp escalation of hostilities, Israeli airstrikes targeted multiple areas across the Gaza Strip overnight, leading to a reported 38 Palestinian fatalities within just 30 minutes, as per sources from the local health authority. Strikes hit various locations, including a school in eastern Gaza City and an abandoned fuel station used as shelter by displaced families in Nuseirat camp, emphasizing the dire situation with significant challenges faced by rescue teams due to equipment shortages and ongoing bombardment.
Activists reported that 10 individuals died in the airstrike that impacted classrooms at the Musa bin Nusayr School, where hundreds were seeking refuge. Meanwhile, 15 casualties were recorded at the fuel station in Nuseirat and another 13 at a family home in Deir al-Balah. Alongside these incidents, Israeli aircraft conducted 10 strikes in the Shujaiya neighborhood, which locals described as producing overwhelming explosions reminiscent of seismic activity, targeting what Israel claims is Hamas’s tunnel network.
The increase in strikes coincides with a civilian evacuation order issued by Israel in preparation for a purported “unprecedented attack.” In response to the escalating violence, leaders from Canada, the UK, and France have warned of potential repercussions if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues his military operations aimed at seizing full control of Gaza, a statement dismissed by Netanyahu as advantageous to Hamas.
Additionally, Israel has announced a planned reduction of the longstanding blockade on Gaza by allowing a limited amount of food supplies into the region. However, United Nations aid officials criticized this measure, labeling it insufficient amidst the grave humanitarian crisis. The ongoing conflict, rooted in the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel earlier this month that resulted in substantial Israeli casualties, has exacerbated the situation, with reports indicating the death toll of Palestinians has reached over 53,000 according to the Hamas-run health ministry, while approximately 58 hostages remain in Gaza, with a fraction believed to be alive.
