SRINAGAR: Israeli strikes across Gaza killed at least 31 people on Saturday, the highest single-day death toll in more than two months, according to The Washington Post.
The deaths were reported despite a ceasefire that came into effect in mid-October, with Gaza’s Health Ministry stating that more than 500 Palestinians have been killed since then. Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense, said around a quarter of those killed were children and about a third were women. The casualties also included an elderly man and four female police officers. Several people were reported trapped under rubble after strikes hit shelters, tents housing displaced people, residential buildings and a police station.
Dr Mohammad Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest medical facility, told CNN that the death toll was expected to rise as critically injured patients remained under treatment.
The Israel Defense Forces said the strikes targeted Hamas and Islamic Jihad positions in response to alleged ceasefire violations on Friday, when eight militants were detected exiting underground tunnels in eastern Rafah. The IDF said three militants were killed and one was captured.
Israeli media have cited officials claiming that around 70,000 Gazans have been killed in the war, figures the IDF said do not reflect official military data. The IDF has not released its own comprehensive casualty figures.
Hamas condemned the strikes as a “renewed flagrant violation” of the ceasefire and urged the United States and other mediators to pressure Israel to halt further attacks.
Gaza’s Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-led administration, said 509 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the ceasefire began on October 10. Its casualty data is widely used by UN agencies and independent experts.
