Gaza city: At least 48 Palestinians, including 11 children, have been killed as Israel launched a new series of airstrikes throughout the Gaza Strip, medical sources informed Anadolu. The fatalities include seven members of a single family in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, after their home was targeted by Israeli warplanes.
According to Anadolu Agency, Israeli forces also opened fire on aid seekers in southern Khan Younis, resulting in the deaths of two Palestinians. In central Gaza, a child was killed and four civilians were injured in an Israeli strike, with the victims being transferred to Al-Awda Hospital, as confirmed by the hospital administration.
The airstrikes further claimed the lives of three civilians from one family in a tent sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza City. In the Zeitoun neighborhood of southeastern Gaza City, nine Palestinians, eight of whom were children, were killed due to Israeli bombardment, witnesses reported to Anadolu. The neighborhood underwent intense shelling, leading to the destruction of several residential buildings.
Anadolu's correspondent noted that Israeli artillery and warplanes specifically targeted the southern and eastern areas of Gaza City. Among the casualties was Palestinian journalist Mohammed Al-Khalidi, who succumbed to injuries from an overnight strike that also claimed the lives of five other journalists, as announced by the Gaza Government Media Office.
In Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians, including five from a civilian gathering and two in a car attack. Furthermore, three Palestinians died when a home south of Gaza City was hit. Another incident near the Zikim crossing in northwestern Gaza resulted in the deaths of two Palestinians, one a child, as Israeli troops opened fire on aid seekers. Eight additional aid seekers were killed by Israeli army fire near the al-Sudaniya area in northwestern Gaza.
Additionally, Gaza's Health Ministry reported that five Palestinians, including a child, died from malnutrition in the last 24 hours, bringing the total famine-related deaths since October 2023 to 222, with 101 being children.
The airstrikes have followed the Israeli Security Cabinet's approval of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to occupy Gaza City, attracting severe international criticism from various governments and human rights organizations. Israel is under increasing scrutiny for its actions in Gaza, which have resulted in nearly 61,500 deaths since October 2023.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice concerning its actions in the enclave.