Cairo: At least 42 individuals lost their lives during Israeli airstrikes targeting districts in northern Gaza City on Saturday, as reported by the director of the Hamas-administered government media office.
According to Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the media office, one of the strikes in Al-Shati, one of Gaza’s historical refugee camps, resulted in 24 fatalities. Another 18 Palestinians were killed in a separate strike on residences in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood.
The Israeli military issued a brief statement confirming the strikes: “A short while ago, IDF fighter jets struck two Hamas military infrastructure sites in the area of Gaza City.” Further details were promised to be released soon.
Hamas did not directly respond to the Israeli military’s claim of targeting its infrastructure but condemned the strikes as targeting civilians. In a statement, Hamas vowed retaliation, stating “the occupation and its Nazi leaders will pay the price for their violations against our people.”
Video footage obtained by Reuters depicted Palestinians frantically searching through the rubble for survivors amidst destroyed homes in the Shati refugee camp. The scenes showed devastated buildings, shattered walls, and streets filled with debris and dust.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas escalated after Hamas-led militants breached into southern Israel on October 7, resulting in casualties and hostages, according to Israeli sources.
The ongoing offensive has ravaged Gaza, claiming over 37,400 lives, with 101 reported fatalities in the past 24 hours alone, according to Palestinian health authorities. The humanitarian crisis has left much of Gaza’s population homeless and destitute.
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In the latest developments, Israeli forces intensified their operations in Rafah on Gaza’s southern border and Deir al-Balah in the central region. Residents reported heightened military presence and airstrikes, forcing many families to flee northward from designated humanitarian zones.
The Israeli military stated its operations in Rafah were based on precise intelligence, targeting Palestinian militants and dismantling military infrastructure.
Earlier reports from the Gaza health ministry indicated at least 25 deaths and 50 injuries in western Rafah’s Mawasi area due to Israeli actions, including an incident where a tank shell reportedly struck a tent housing displaced families.
The Israeli military, however, stated that an initial inquiry did not confirm IDF involvement in the reported incident. They stated, “An initial inquiry conducted suggests that there is no indication that a strike was carried out by the IDF in the Humanitarian Area in Al-Mawasi.”
