- Over 44,708 Palestinians killed and 106,050 injured since start of conflict: Gaza Health Ministry
GAZA: Israeli air attacks in the Gaza Strip have killed at least 16 Palestinians in separate incidents, including five members of one family, who died when their home in a displaced persons camp in Deir el-Balah was struck early on Sunday morning, according to Al Jazeera.
“We woke up to a loud explosion in the middle of the night,” said Mahmoud Fayad, an eyewitness. “We ran to the loud screams and found many civilians killed; an entire family, man, wife and their children.”
The attack, which also left dozens injured, highlights the vulnerability of displaced civilians living in camps in the region. Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud reported that many people near the site were injured in the assault.
Later on Sunday, at least 11 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a residential house in the al-Bureij camp, further escalating the toll of the ongoing violence.
Palestinian officials accuse Israel of pursuing a strategy to force evacuations and clear areas of the enclave, creating a buffer zone in the northern region. However, the Israeli military denies these claims, stating that its operations are aimed at combating Hamas.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that more than 44,708 Palestinians have been killed and 106,050 injured in the ongoing conflict, which has raged since October of last year.
Meanwhile, Israel’s siege of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya continues. On Sunday, Palestinian health officials reported Israeli shelling of the hospital, which damaged key equipment including electricity and oxygen pumps, hindering critical medical operations.
“The situation is extremely dangerous,” said Hussam Abu Safia, the hospital’s director. “We have patients in the intensive care unit and others awaiting surgeries. Access to the operating rooms is only possible after restoring electricity and oxygen supply.” The hospital is treating 112 wounded individuals, with six in the intensive care unit, he added.
