Islam Times - At Least 17 Killed in Israeli Attacks Across Gaza Since Dawn

Islam Times - Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 17 people across Gaza, as ongoing bombardments and new evacuation orders escalate the crisis in the besieged territory.

Citing medical sources, Al Jazeera Arabic reported that at least 13 people were killed in northern Gaza early today, raising the death toll to 17 since dawn.

This marks the 35th day of Israel’s siege and bombardment of Gaza, with strikes reported in Gaza City and the Jabalia refugee camp, where two Palestinians were injured near the entrance of Halima al-Sadia School, currently housing displaced families.

In one of the bloodiest attacks, an airstrike flattened a residential building in the Daraj neighborhood in central Gaza City, killing nine members of the same family. Witnesses recounted scenes of extensive destruction at the site, as explosions were also reported from eastern Bureij and along the coast near the Nuseirat refugee camp.

Reports indicate that early morning shelling by Israeli gunboats targeted the coastline of the Nuseirat refugee camp and the southern Gaza city of Rafah, with extensive fire reported along Gaza’s shoreline. Local media reported that an overnight attack on a house in central Gaza City killed nine members of the Hamada family.

Further casualties include a fisherman killed and three others injured in shelling by Israeli warships off the coast of Rafah. Thirteen others were reportedly killed across Gaza overnight, including casualties in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza, central Gaza City, and the Nuseirat camp.

Civil defense and emergency response teams face extreme challenges reaching affected areas, particularly in Beit Lahiya, where bombardments have been unrelenting.

In Jabalia, widespread destruction has left civilians trapped under debris as Israeli forces continue their advance. Hospitals report critical shortages, with civilians now using blankets to cover the deceased in the absence of shrouds.

The Wafa news agency confirmed six more fatalities from Israeli attacks near al-Mashtal Hotel in Gaza City and west of Nuseirat. Four civilians died in a home near the hotel, while two were killed in Nuseirat, with additional injuries reported from shelling near the Halima al-Sadia School in Jabalia.

Escalation continues as Israel issued new evacuation orders, now extending to residents in Gaza City, who were instructed to move southwards, despite those areas also experiencing heavy bombardment.

Without proving evidence, Israel claims Palestinian resistance groups are using these neighborhoods for rocket launches despite previous announcements declaring them dismantled of Hamas presence.

The mounting Israeli violence has sparked an “endless cycle of unchecked terror,” as some describe.

In a broader view, the UN Human Rights Office verified the deaths of 8,119 Palestinians in Gaza since the onset of Israel’s offensive, nearly 70% of whom were women and children.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk condemned what he described as systematic violations of international humanitarian law and stressed the need for accountability.

Israel's genocide in Gaza has killed at least 43,469 Palestinians and injured 102,561 since October 7, 2023.