New attacks reported in the Gaza Strip: 15 more dead. What's the situation?
The Gaza Strip Civil Defense announced on Saturday the deaths of 15 people in overnight airstrikes in the besieged Palestinian territory, where Israel is intensifying its offensive.
Israel resumed operations in Gaza on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire.
Last Monday, the limited humanitarian aid supply that had been blocked by the Israeli government since March 2 was resumed .
According to Mahmud Basal, a spokesman for the rescue organization, "at least 15 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in Israeli bombing" in the territory of 2.4 million inhabitants.
Four people, including a child, were killed in the Al Tuffah region in the north of the territory, and another five were killed in a bombing attack on "a group of citizens waiting for aid trucks west of Khan Yunis" in the south, he said.
In addition, in Khan Yunis, four members of a family were killed when their apartment was "bombed," Basal said, adding that two deaths were also reported in Nuseirat, in the central Gaza Strip.
Palestinians check out the damage caused by Israeli attacks. Photo: AFP
When contacted by AFP, the Israeli army indicated that it was not in a position to comment on the incident unless provided with the "exact geographic coordinates" of these attacks.
However, in a statement, it specified that since Friday, airstrikes have been carried out against more than 100 targets across the country.
At Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, several people wept beside the bodies of their loved ones, wrapped in sheets.
"Suddenly, an F-16 missile destroyed the entire house, and they were all civilians: my sister, her husband, and her son," said Wisam Al Madhun.
"We found them lying in the street. What did this child do to [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu?" he asked.
The war in Gaza was triggered by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left 1,218 people dead, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.
Of the 251 people kidnapped that day, 57 remain in Gaza. Of these, 34 are believed to have died, according to the Israeli military.
Israel has stepped up its offensive in Gaza. Photo: EL TIEMPO Archive / AFP and EFE Agencies
More than 53,901 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military operation, according to data from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Ministry of Health, which the UN considers reliable.
What is known about the delivery of humanitarian aid? Six members of the teams tasked with protecting humanitarian aid in Gaza were killed Thursday night in a series of Israeli attacks as they defended two trucks carrying medical supplies that were to be attacked in Deir al-Balah (center), the Hamas-controlled enclave's government and local media reported.
Workers load humanitarian aid onto a truck at the Kerem Shalom border crossing. Photo: AFP
"We condemn in the strongest terms the horrendous crime committed by the Israeli occupation army against security and aid personnel and voluntary popular committees in the Deir al-Balah area, which resulted in the martyrdom of six members of the security and aid protection teams," the Gaza government said in a statement at around 00:25 local time (21:25 GMT Thursday).
Local sources reported that the team, composed of both Hamas police officers and volunteers, was protecting the trucks from an attempted assault by an unidentified group of individuals when the armed forces launched a series of attacks against them.
The Israeli Army assured EFE that one of its drones last night identified "several armed men, including Hamas terrorists, next to aid trucks in central Gaza."
"The aircraft attacked the gunmen after identifying them. It should be emphasized that the aid was not damaged as a result of the attack," a military spokesman said.
Bakery in Gaza receives humanitarian aid. Photo: AFP
The same source said the Gaza government's claim that the deceased were part of an escort team is "false and baseless."
Asked about the identity or affiliation of the gunmen, whom it did not identify as Hamas, the military declined to respond.
According to the Palestinian press, the incident occurred as the trucks were traveling along the Salah al-Din Highway, one of the two main roads that cross Gaza from north to south, the closest to the dividing line with Israel and the area seized by troops.
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