An Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza reportedly killed at least 20 people, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian officials on Tuesday. This strike occurred amid a nearly month-long air and ground offensive by Israel in Gaza, which has already been heavily isolated and devastated.
The attack, which took place late Monday, targeted a home in Beit Lahiya, near the Israeli border, where several displaced families had sought shelter, according to Hossam Abu Safiya, director of the recently raided Kamal Adwan Hospital, which handled the casualties.
The Israeli military stated that the target was a weapons storage site linked to militant activity and that steps were taken to minimize civilian harm.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that eight women and six children were among the deceased. Other strikes on Tuesday morning killed an additional 10 people in different areas of Gaza, as stated by health officials.
The Israeli operation in Gaza’s north began after military reports suggested Hamas militants had regrouped there. The Israeli army has conducted repeated incursions in Gaza over recent years, as Hamas continues sporadic attacks on Israeli forces and fires occasional rockets.
Israel has ordered the full evacuation of Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and the Jabaliya refugee camp, severely restricting humanitarian aid to the region for over a month. This has drawn concern from the Biden administration, which has warned that U.S. law might limit military assistance to Israel if humanitarian aid access is not expanded.
The ongoing conflict has led to mass displacement within Gaza, with approximately 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents forced to flee their homes, many multiple times.
The three hospitals serving the area have been largely inaccessible due to the conflict, and ambulance services have ceased. Last month, Israeli forces entered Kamal Adwan Hospital, claiming Hamas fighters were hiding there, a claim denied by Palestinian health authorities.
The offensive has intensified fears among Palestinians of a potential “surrender-or-starve” strategy in northern Gaza, allegedly proposed by former generals, which would entail civilian evacuation, aid restrictions, and designation of remaining individuals as combatants. Although the Israeli military denies having received such directives, the government has not clarified its stance on the approach.
Palestinian officials reported further airstrikes on Tuesday, killing 10 people, including four children and two women. One strike in Gaza City's Tufah neighborhood killed two children and their parents, according to emergency officials, while another in Zuweida hit a tent sheltering a displaced family, killing four, including a mother and two children. Additional strikes in Deir al-Balah resulted in further casualties.
The Israeli military asserts it targets only militants, who it claims use civilian areas as cover. It rarely comments on individual strikes, which frequently result in civilian casualties, including women and children.
This conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched an attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 250 hostages. Currently, about 100 captives are still held in Gaza, with one-third believed to be deceased.
Israel’s response has resulted in over 43,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its count but indicates that over half of the deceased are women and children.
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