A Palestinian man surveys the scene of an Israeli airstrike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, on December 11, 2024. — Reuters
Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip claimed the lives of at least 33 Palestinians on Wednesday, with most fatalities resulting from an airstrike on a house in Beit Lahiya, a town on the northern edge of the enclave, according to medics. The Beit Lahiya strike claimed at least 22 lives, including women and children, according to health officials. Relatives shared the names of the deceased on social media. The multi-storey building, home to over 30 people, was struck, and several family members remained unaccounted for as rescue operations continued throughout the morning, reported the Palestinian Wafa news agency.
The Israeli military informed Reuters that it had conducted a strike targeting Hamas militants near the Kamal Adwan Hospital, located between Beit Lahiya and Jabalia, towns on the northern edge of Gaza under Israeli siege for two months. The military stated it was reviewing the incident but described the reported death toll by Palestinian medics and media as "inaccurate" and inconsistent with their information. In nearby Beit Hanoun, also under siege, medics reported an Israeli airstrike killed and injured several people, though the exact toll was not provided. Rescue workers reported several individuals trapped under rubble.
Earlier on Wednesday, at least seven Palestinians were killed and several others injured in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, according to medics. The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service and medics reported four additional fatalities in separate Israeli airstrikes on two houses in Gaza City, including journalist Eman Al Shanti and her son. The Palestinian Union of Journalists stated she was the 193rd journalist killed by Israel since the start of the war. The Israeli military confirmed two rockets were fired from central Gaza into Israel but landed in open areas, causing no injuries, highlighting the continued rocket attacks by Gaza militants despite 14 months of intense Israeli aerial and ground offensives.
Later on Wednesday, the Israeli military ordered residents in the Al Maghazi camp in central Gaza to evacuate, citing rocket launches from the area. They were advised to move towards a designated humanitarian zone near the Mediterranean coast. Palestinian and United Nations officials maintain there are no safe areas in the devastated enclave. Israel asserts that civilian harm is a consequence of Hamas hiding among them, a claim Hamas denies. The fighting has concentrated in the north, where Israeli forces have been operating in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya, and Jabalia since October 5. Israel claims it is combating to prevent Hamas militants from regrouping and launching attacks from these areas. Palestinian officials and residents accuse Israel of seeking to depopulate the area to establish a buffer zone on Gaza's northern edge, which Israel denies.
Israel and Hamas have been engaged in warfare since Hamas-led fighters attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and capturing over 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports. This attack prompted Israel's military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 44,800 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
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