On Wednesday, Israeli forces killed at least 15 Palestinians during intense bombardments across Gaza, targeting residential areas, including homes and tents, according to a spokesperson from Gaza’s civil defense. The ongoing aerial and ground offensive on Gaza City has prompted mass evacuations, displacing hundreds of thousands from the territory’s largest urban center.
Many residents who opted to stay sheltered in the city center became victims of air strikes. Civil defense spokesman Mahmud Bassal reported that at least seven individuals died, most of whom were children, due to three separate air strikes on a Gaza Municipality warehouse and makeshift tents located in Firas Market. Additionally, three other fatalities occurred in different parts of the city—two people in an apartment on Al-Sahaba Street and another near Al-Yarmouk Market.
The violence extended to central Gaza, where civil defense officials reported four deaths following a helicopter strike on a home in Nuseirat. Another individual lost their life due to an Israeli air strike on a residence situated north of Nuseirat.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry, Israeli military operations over the past two years have resulted in the deaths of 65,382 Palestinians, predominantly civilians—a statistic the United Nations regards as credible. This escalation is rooted in the ongoing conflict that began with a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the loss of 1,219 Israeli lives, mostly civilians.
Current media restrictions and access limitations impede independent verification of details shared by local civil defense and the Israeli military. This assault on Gaza City comes in the wake of a United Nations probe alleging that Israel has committed “genocide” in the region, implicating Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials in incitement of this crime. Israel has dismissed the UN findings as “distorted and false.”
The devastation wrought on Gaza continues to compound, with a UN-backed body declaring famine in parts of the territory last month. The situation remains dire as humanitarian conditions worsen amidst the relentless military operations.
