Gaza casualties mount: Israeli strikes kill at least 40 Palestinians

Violent strikes in Gaza City kill eight family members; hospitals besieged in northern Gaza struggle

GAZA/CAIRO:

At least 40 Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli airstrikes across Gaza on Sunday, with two dozen fatalities from an attack on a residential building in Jabalia, a town in northern Gaza.

According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), the early morning strike demolished a three-story building, resulting in the deaths of at least 24 individuals, and injuring 30 others from nearby residences.

Unverified social media footage showed numerous bodies wrapped in blankets outside a hospital close to Jabalia, believed to be victims from the building, which housed approximately 30 people.

The Israeli military stated it had targeted a location in Jabalia where "fighters were active," asserting these individuals posed a threat to Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) personnel.

In Gaza City, an airstrike on a house in the Sabra neighbourhood killed Wael Al-Khour, a welfare ministry official, along with his wife, son, two daughters, and three grandchildren. The Israeli military indicated it was reviewing this report.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society, with the assistance of the International Committee of the Red Cross, evacuated 20 patients from Al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia to another facility in Gaza City, although one patient reportedly died after ambulances were delayed at an Israeli checkpoint.

Israeli forces have maintained a siege around Jabalia’s hospitals for several weeks, and despite shortages of food, medical supplies, and fuel, hospital staff have refused to abandon their facilities or patients.

Hamas wing reported killing 15 Israeli soldiers in Beit Lahiya, north of Jabalia, though Israel has not commented on this claim, and it remains unverified.

The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service reported suspending its operations due to an Israeli offensive in northern Gaza’s towns and a refugee camp that began on October 5.

Israel stated its troops were deployed to Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun to counter Hamas fighters operating there and prevent regrouping.

Attempts at a ceasefire have so far been unsuccessful. Qatar, which has been mediating alongside Egypt and the United States, indicated it would suspend its efforts until both parties show a commitment to dialogue. Neither Hamas nor Israel has provided an official response.

The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israeli communities, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has heavily damaged Gaza, with Palestinian health officials estimating around 43,500 Palestinians killed.