At least 42 people were killed in Israeli attacks on districts of Gaza city in the north of the Palestinian territory on Saturday, the director of the Hamas-run state media office said.
Ismail al-Thawabta told Reuters that 24 people were killed in an Israeli attack on homes in al-Shati, one of the Gaza Strip’s eight historic refugee camps. Another 18 Palestinians were killed in an attack on homes in the al-Tuffah neighborhood.
The Israeli military issued a brief statement saying: “A short while ago, IDF warplanes attacked two Hamas military infrastructure sites in the area of Gaza City.”
It added that more details would be released soon.
Hamas did not comment on Israel’s claim that its military infrastructure had been attacked. It said in a statement that the attacks targeted the civilian population and vowed in a statement that “the occupier and its Nazi leaders will pay the price for their violations against our people.”
Footage obtained by Reuters showed dozens of Palestinians looking for victims among destroyed homes. The footage showed damaged homes in the Shati refugee camp, walls damaged by the blast and debris and dust covering the street.
Israel’s ground and air campaign in Gaza began when Hamas raided southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
The offensive has wreaked havoc across Gaza, killing more than 37,400 people, 101 of them in the past 24 hours, according to Palestinian health officials, and leaving almost the entire population homeless and destitute.
More than eight months into the war, Israel’s advance is now focused on the two last areas its forces have yet to capture: Rafah, on the southern edge of Gaza, and the area around Deir al-Balah in the centre.
Residents reported that Israeli tanks have increased their incursions into western and northern Rafah neighborhoods in recent days. On Saturday, Israeli forces bombarded several areas from the air and the ground, forcing many families living in humanitarian-designated areas to move north.
The Israeli military said the army continued to carry out “precise, intelligence-based” targeted operations in Rafah, killing several Palestinian gunmen and destroying military infrastructure.
On Friday, the Gaza Health Ministry said at least 25 Palestinians were killed and 50 wounded in Mawasis in western Rafah. Palestinians said a tank shell hit a tent housing displaced families.
The Israeli military said the incident was under review. It said: “Initial investigations show there are no indications that the humanitarian area of al-Mawasi was attacked by the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces).”
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