Israeli airstrikes have targeted the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, resulting in the deaths of nearly a dozen people, according to Gazan officials. The attacks have also continued in other parts of Gaza, killing dozens more, as reported by Palestinian state media and health authorities. The Gaza Health Ministry has confirmed that at least 160 people were killed in the coastal enclave over the previous 24 hours, bringing the total Palestinian death toll from the Israeli offensive to nearly 25,000, with the majority being women and children.
The strikes on Khan Younis have specifically targeted areas around major hospitals and schools, where tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have sought refuge. Witnesses have reported that the hospitals and schools, which have become overcrowded shelters, have not been spared from Israel’s relentless assault on the besieged territory.
The Palestine Red Crescent has reported that a number of airstrikes and artillery shells hit the vicinity of the Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis. Additionally, a doctor at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis has expressed concerns about Israeli troops and tanks taking up positions near the hospital compound, raising fears of a potential raid on the hospital.
The Israeli military has claimed to have killed a squad of fighters from Hamas in close-quarters combat in Khan Younis, stating that it conducted a “targeted raid” on Hamas “infrastructure” where dozens of rocket launchers were located.
The United Nations, aid organizations, and residents have emphasized that the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip has left nowhere safe, with even areas where the Israeli military has ordered people to go coming under attack. The overwhelming Israeli air and ground offensives have resulted in over a million Palestinians being trapped in an ever smaller corner of Gaza, with Egypt refusing to let Gazans cross into Sinai.
Source: www.nytimes.com