Intense Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza Result in Devastating Casualties, Reports Say

Over the past 24 hours, at least 69 individuals have lost their lives in Gaza due to Israeli fire, as reported by rescuers, marking an escalation in the ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian territory. One particular air strike, as per the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency, resulted in the death of 15 individuals at a school-turned-shelter for displaced families in Gaza City. The Israeli military asserted that the target was a "key" Hamas operative based there.

The Civil Defence also reported that 38 people were killed while queuing for aid or on their way to pick it up. The military denied these reports of extensive casualties, labeling them as false.

As pressure mounts on both Israel and Hamas to agree to a new ceasefire and hostage release deal being pushed by US President Donald Trump, tensions remain high. Trump announced on Tuesday that Israel had agreed to the "necessary conditions" to finalize a 60-day ceasefire. However, obstacles persist that could prevent a quick agreement.

Hamas has stated that it is studying the proposals, but still seeks an end to the conflict and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is scheduled to travel to Washington on Monday, has insisted that the Palestinian armed group must be eliminated.

On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that its aircraft had struck approximately 150 "terror targets" across Gaza, including fighters, tunnels, and weapons. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry reported 118 deaths during the same period.

Fifteen people, most of them women and children, were killed when a school housing displaced families in the al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City was struck before dawn on Thursday. Wafaa al-Arqan, a witness, told Reuters news agency, "Suddenly, we found the tent collapsing over us and a fire burning... What can we do? Is it fair that all these children burned?"

The IDF did not mention the school in its statement, instead focusing on the elimination of a "key Hamas terrorist" in Gaza City. The IDF also accused Hamas of using human shields, an allegation the group has repeatedly denied.

At least another five displaced people were reportedly killed when a tent was struck overnight in the southern al-Mawasi area. Residents had been instructed to head for their own safety due to IDF evacuation orders.

Ashraf Abu Shaba, a neighboring tent resident, reported seeing the bodies of children and women wrapped in blankets afterwards. "The occupation [Israel] claims there are safe zones, but there are no safe zones. Every place is a target... The situation is unbearable," he added.

Later, the Civil Defence spokesman, Mahmoud Bassal, told AFP news agency that another 38 people were killed by Israeli forces while seeking aid. The deaths occurred near the Israeli military's Netzarim corridor in central Gaza, at another location nearby, and in the southern Rafah area.

Medics at Nasser hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis separately reported that at least 20 people were killed while making their way to an aid distribution center.

There was no direct response to the reports from the IDF.

Reuters
Nasser hospital treated Palestinians men reportedly shot by Israeli forces while seeking aid

Last week, the IDF stated that it was examining reports of civilians being harmed while approaching sites in southern and central Gaza run by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).

On Thursday, IDF spokesman Brig-Gen Effie Defrin acknowledged at a briefing that Israeli forces were facing a "complex challenge" and were drawing "lessons from every incident to prevent similar cases in the future". However, he declared, "The reports of allegations of extensive casualties in the aid distribution centers are lies."

There have been reports of deadly incidents near the distribution sites almost every day since the GHF began operating on 26 May. According to Gaza's health ministry, at least 408 people have been killed near GHF centers over the past five weeks. Another 175 people have been killed seeking aid elsewhere, including along routes used by UN aid convoys, it says.

The GHF, which uses US private security contractors, stated that "distribution at all sites ran smoothly" on Thursday and that it had now handed out more than one million boxes of food. The GHF also rejected as "categorically false" allegations from a former security contractor, who told the BBC that he witnessed colleagues opening fire on civilians waiting for aid. The UN and other aid groups refuse to cooperate with the GHF, stating that its new system contravenes fundamental humanitarian principles.

The US and Israel say the GHF's system will prevent aid being stolen by Hamas. The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 57,130 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry.

Source URL: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3d1r93gg9ro