Israeli Air Attack Kills Dozens, Palestinian Casualties Increase To 43,341 People

Israeli military operations in Gaza. (Source: Israel Defense Forces)

JAKARTA - Israeli airstrikes killed at least 31 people in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, Palestinian medics said, with nearly half of the deaths occurring in the northern region where soldiers launched a month-long campaign that it said was aimed at preventing Hamas from reuniting.

Palestinians say the new air and ground strikes and forced evacuations constitute "ethnic cleansing" aimed at emptying two northern Gaza cities and a refugee camp from their population to create a buffer zone.

Israel denies the allegations, saying it is fighting the militant group Hamas that launched attacks from there.

Medics said at least 13 Palestinians were killed in separate attacks on homes in the cities of Beit Lahiya and Jabalia, the largest camp of eight historic camps in the enclave and became the focus of a new army attack.

The rest were killed in separate Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City and in the southern region, including one in Khan Younis, who health officials said had killed eight people, including four children.

On Sunday, health officials at Kamal Adwan Hospital near Beit Lahiya said the facility was attacked by Israeli tanks. A child who was hospitalized was seriously injured.

Hussam Abu Safiya, director of the hospital, said the incident occurred after a delegation from the World Health Organization (WHO) visited the facility and evacuated several patients.

He said, although evacuating the injured was important, what was more important was sending a special medical team to hospitals in northern Gaza that had been overwhelmed by the number of casualties.

Abu Safiya said the tank's fire hit neonatal water supply, courtyard, and intensive care units.

Separately, COGAT, the Palestinian civil affairs agency belonging to the Israeli army, said the explosion was caused by explosives planted by Palestinian militants and not Israeli attacks.

"Terrorist organizations continue to exploit civilian infrastructure, medical facilities, and international aid organizations for their terror activities," the COGAT statement said on Sunday evening.

Hamas itself has repeatedly denied using civilian facilities such as hospitals, schools and mosques, for military purposes.

Yesterday, Gaza's health authorities confirmed that the death toll from the Israeli attack since October 7, 2023 has grown to 43,341, while injuries reached 102,105, with the majority of victims being women and children, quoted from WAFA.