Israeli Airstrike in Northern Gaza Reportedly Kills 19 Individuals

Medical authorities and the Hamas-administered Civil Defence agency report that an Israeli aerial assault conducted overnight in northern Gaza resulted in the deaths of a minimum of 19 individuals. Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesperson for the Civil Defence, informed AFP news agency that multiple missiles struck a three-story residence situated close to Kamal Adwan hospital within the town of Beit Lahia. He further stated that dozens of occupants were believed to reside there, with numerous individuals remaining trapped beneath the debris. Palestinian media outlets indicated that among the fatalities were nine children. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) verified its execution of a strike aimed at a Hamas “terrorist” in the area surrounding Kamal Adwan, yet it disputed the number of reported casualties. It declared, “According to an initial examination, the number of casualties resulting from the strike published in the media is inaccurate and does not align with the information held by the IDF.” It added, “The IDF is continuing to examine the incident.” On 6 October, Israeli forces initiated a significant ground offensive in sections of northern Gaza, stating their objective is to prevent Hamas from reassembling in the region. The UN reported on Tuesday that Beit Lahia, along with the adjacent towns of Beit Hanoun and Jabalia, were experiencing an intensified Israeli siege, and that nearly no humanitarian assistance had reached them for 66 days. This situation, it further noted, had left an estimated 65,000 to 75,000 individuals still residing within these towns without access to sustenance, hydration, power, or medical services. Reports also persist regarding assaults on hospitals in northern Gaza, which are operating at minimal capacity due to acute shortages of supplies. The UN stated that the hospital endured attacks involving fire, bombs, and shells on four separate instances between 3 December and Saturday, leading to the deaths of seven people, among them four medics and a child, and causing injuries to at least three medical staff members, as well as patients and those accompanying them. The director of the World Health Organization characterized these attacks as “unacceptable and are depriving people in northern Gaza of the already minimal health services they had left”. On Sunday, the IDF announced that following an assessment, it determined its forces had not conducted strikes near the hospital or caused damage to any of its vital equipment. The Civil Defence additionally reported on Wednesday that it had retrieved the remains of two individuals who died when a residence in Gaza City’s north-western Zeitoun neighbourhood was struck. Palestinian media outlets indicated that a distinct strike in the northern Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood resulted in the deaths of journalist Iman al-Shanti and her son, Bilal. The Palestinian Union of Journalists declared that Shanti was the 193rd journalist killed by Israel since the commencement of the Gaza conflict. A further seven individuals perished in an Israeli aerial attack on a family dwelling within the urban Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. These reportedly comprised two children and their parents. Subsequently, the IDF instructed residents of the adjacent Maghazi refugee camp to evacuate due to rockets having been fired from that vicinity on Wednesday morning. According to the IDF, four of these rockets landed in unpopulated zones, while the Israeli Air Force intercepted two others. No casualties were reported. Israel initiated a campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas following the Palestinian group’s unparalleled assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, an event that resulted in approximately 1,200 fatalities and 251 individuals being taken captive. Since that time, over 44,800 people have died in Gaza, as per figures from the territory’s Hamas-controlled health ministry. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.