In a significant escalation of conflict, Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip have resulted in the deaths of at least 30 Palestinians since Monday night, according to Palestinian media and medical sources. The intensified military operations come as the Israeli army tightens its siege on the northern regions of the enclave.
Local reports indicate that an air strike damaged two houses in the town of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, an area where Israeli forces have been conducting new operations since October 5. The Palestinian official news agency WAFA and Hamas-affiliated media reported that at least 20 people were killed late on Monday in this area.
The Gaza Health Ministry has not immediately confirmed these figures. However, medics reported that four additional people were killed around midnight on Monday in the central Gazan town of Al-Zawayda.
Elsewhere, Palestinian health officials stated that six people lost their lives in two separate Israeli air strikes in Gaza City and Deir Al-Balah, both located in the central part of the enclave.
The Israeli military, in a statement lacking specific details, claimed that its forces had “eliminated terrorists” in the central Gaza Strip and Jabalia area. The military also reported locating weapons and explosives in the southern Rafah area over the past day, stating that “terrorist infrastructure sites” had been destroyed.
Palestinian sources contend that these new attacks and the Israeli orders for residents to evacuate are aimed at depopulating two northern Gaza towns and a refugee camp to establish buffer zones.
Israel maintains that its forces have killed hundreds of Palestinian gunmen and dismantled military infrastructure in Jabalia over the past month.
According to authorities in Gaza, more than 43,300 Palestinians have been killed in more than a year of war, with much of the territory reduced to ruins.
The current conflict began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of 251 hostages taken back to Gaza, based on Israeli tallies.
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Israeli air strikes kill at least 30 Palestinians in Gaza, medics say
cgtn.com
