Israeli strikes hit the Gaza Strip overnight on Wednesday, tearing apart a home where displaced people were sheltering in the isolated north. The Palestinian health officials reported that the strikes killed at least 33 people including children.
The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas militant in the area of the hospital. It further claimed that the report about the number of casualties in the strike were inaccurate and it tries to avoid harming civilians. It further accuses militants of hiding among them.
The hospital reported that another strike hit near its entrance on Wednesday and killed a woman and her two children.
The director of the hospital, Dr Hussan Abu Safiya, said Israeli drones struck nearby residential
blocks overnight and caused explosions that created panic.
Another strike hit the old Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza claimed at least seven people, as reported by the Awda Hospital. The deceased included two children, their parents and three other relatives. The hospital reported another attack hit the same camp, claiming four people and injuring 16 more.
The Israeli military has yet to comment on recent strikes.
In Lebanon, at least five people were killed Wednesday in Israeli airstrikes in the southern region, despite the ongoing ceasefire, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry and state news agency.
Meanwhile, in southern Lebanon, Israeli forces withdrew from a key town, transferring control back to the Lebanese army in coordination with UN peacekeepers. This marks the first Israeli pullback from a border town seized during its ground offensive.
The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians. Additionally, about 250 people, including children and older adults, were taken hostage. As of now, approximately 100 hostages remain in Gaza, with reports indicating that at least a third of them are believed to be dead.
In response, Israel launched a military offensive on Gaza, which has led to the deaths of over 44,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. More than half of the casualties are reported to be women and children, although the figures do not differentiate between militants and civilians. Israel claims to have killed over 17,000 militants, though it has not provided supporting evidence for this claim.
The ongoing conflict has also left thousands of Palestinians missing, some of whom disappeared after encounters with Israeli troops. The humanitarian situation continues to worsen as both sides suffer heavy losses.
