Gaza: At least 68 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza, as reported by a statement from the Palestinian health ministry. The casualties include 21 people who lost their lives, with 15 Gazans suffocating due to tear gas fired by the Israeli army near a US-run aid distribution point in Khan Younis city.

According to Anadolu Agency, the ministry noted that this marks the first time deaths have been recorded due to suffocation and the intense stampede of citizens at aid distribution centers. In addition to these fatalities, eight other Palestinians, including three children, were killed in Israeli strikes targeting tents for displaced families in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis.

The Israeli military also shelled a residential apartment and a coffee shop in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, resulting in three deaths. In the northern Gaza Strip, airstrikes claimed more lives; two people were killed in Gaza City, and two others, including a young girl, died when a strike hit a civilian gathering on Abu Hasira Street.

Further airstrikes by Israeli warplanes in Jabalia led to the deaths of four civilians and injuries to 12 others. Another life was lost in a strike on the Zarka area in the Tuffah neighborhood, northeast of Gaza City. Additionally, two people, including a child, were killed when an airstrike hit an apartment in the western part of the city.

The violence continued in the Nuseirat refugee camp, where two more were killed in the northeast, and two others died due to a strike on a home in the camp's western section. In the al-Bureij refugee camp, seven Palestinians perished, and others were wounded in a strike on a civilian gathering in Block 3, while a child was killed, and seven others were injured in Block 1.

In Deir al-Balah, two separate Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of seven Palestinians. The first strike claimed four members of one family near al-Mazra'a School, and the second killed three more on al-Hakar Street. Additionally, four Palestinians were killed in a strike near a US-managed aid distribution center along the Netzarim corridor.

Meanwhile, in the Sabra neighborhood of Khan Younis, two family members lost their lives when their home was struck. Despite international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has continued its offensive against Gaza since October 2023, resulting in the deaths of more than 58,000 Palestinians, most of whom were women and children.

In a related development, last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.