Israeli attack said to have killed dozens in Gaza - NEWS

Gaza news

An Israeli airstrike has reportedly killed at least 33 people, including 21 women, at a refugee camp in northern Gaza, according to authorities in the Hamas-run territory. The attack occurred in Jabalia, a densely populated camp that has been under siege by Israeli forces for weeks. Israel has not yet commented on the strike.

The death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar earlier this week led some to hope for a resolution to the conflict, but Hamas' deputy leader stated that the group would only emerge stronger.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden has suggested there is a possibility of progress toward a ceasefire in Lebanon, where Israel is engaged in fighting with Hezbollah militants, though he acknowledged that achieving one in Gaza would be more difficult. Biden's comments followed a meeting in Berlin with leaders from Germany, France, and the UK.

According to a statement from Gaza’s media office, Friday's airstrike in Jabalia also injured over 85 people, with some in critical condition, as homes belonging to three families were hit. The death toll could rise to 50, with people still trapped under rubble. The report could not be independently verified, as northern Gaza remains cut off from telecommunications and internet services.

Unverified video footage circulating on social media shows bodies wrapped in white shrouds in the courtyard of al-Awda Hospital. The hospital's director reported an overwhelming number of casualties and said some injured people were being treated on the floor due to overcrowding.

Reuters reported that at least 39 Palestinians were killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza on Friday, many of them in Jabalia, before the most recent airstrike. Around 400,000 people have been trapped in the camp with scarce food and water for more than two weeks.

Georgios Petropoulos, from the UN’s Office for Humanitarian Assistance, told the BBC that conditions for families in Jabalia were dire, and warned of the dangerous situation facing civilians. Israel claimed it had delivered supplies, including food, water, and medical equipment, to northern Gaza, but local health officials said aid was not reaching the hardest-hit areas like Jabalia.

Israel has denied blocking humanitarian aid but faces pressure from the U.S. to increase access or risk losing some military support. Israeli Minister Amichai Chikli confirmed the blockade of northern Gaza, including Jabalia, and maintained that Israel’s actions were in accordance with international law.

Source- BBC News