Israeli Strikes Kill At Least 30 Palestinians in Gaza as Offensive Intensifies
GAZA CITY – At least 30 Palestinians, including children, have been killed in Israeli military strikes across central adn southern Gaza since dawn, according to reports from the territory and civil defense officials. The escalating violence comes as Israel intensifies its offensive against Gaza, forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate their homes and pushing parts of the territory into famine.
One of Thursday’s strikes on central Gaza resulted in the deaths of at least 11 people, according to Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense. “Eleven people were killed and many are missing or wounded after an Israeli air strike targeted a house … which was sheltering displaced people north of az-Zawayda in the central Gaza Strip,” Basal said. Emergency services confirmed several children were among the dead, with bodies transported to a nearby hospital.
The increased bombardment is focused on Gaza City, as Israel expands its campaign to capture the Strip’s largest urban center. Displaced residents face severe challenges finding shelter and are encountering inflated prices for temporary accommodation.
“We have arrived in this remote area with no tents, no facilities. We cannot get water supplies. Kids cannot find anything to eat as we are far from everyone else,” said Ahlam Aqel, a displaced woman from Gaza City.
Ahmed Salama, forcibly displaced from northern Gaza, expressed similar concerns. “We are going to central Gaza and we do not know where we are going to stay. The al-Mawasi evacuation zone is overcrowded with displaced people. there is no single space for anyone to move there.”
Gaza has suffered widespread destruction, and a United Nations-backed organization declared famine in parts of the territory last month. Najia Abu Amsha,a Palestinian whose nephew was killed while waiting for aid,stated on Wednesday,”We lost our children,our homes and our places. We became beggars and sick.”
As the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, at least 65,419 people have been killed and 167,160 wounded, with thousands more believed to be trapped under rubble.
