The civil defense agency in Gaza has reported that 30 individuals, including 13 children, were killed due to Israeli airstrikes on two residential homes in the northern region of the Palestinian territory.
The initial strike occurred early today in Jabalia, northern Gaza, claiming the lives of “at least 25” people, encompassing 13 children, and injuring over 30, according to the civil defense.
Since October 6, the Israeli military has launched relentless air and ground campaigns in northern Gaza, particularly targeting Jabalia, claiming their objective is to prevent Hamas militants from reestablishing their positions in the area.
A separate strike in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City resulted in the deaths of five individuals, with more casualties still unaccounted for, as reported by the civil defense.
In response to inquiries from AFP, the Israeli military stated that it was “looking into the reports” regarding the strikes.
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The conflict in Gaza ignited following Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to 1,206 fatalities, predominantly among civilians, based on an AFP count of Israeli official statistics.
Israel’s retaliatory actions have resulted in the deaths of 43,552 people in Gaza, the majority of whom are civilians, according to data from the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory, which the United Nations regards as credible.
On Friday, the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) condemned the civilian death toll during Israel’s military operations in Gaza, noting that women and children represent nearly 70 percent of the verified deaths.
“Civilians in Gaza have suffered the most from the assaults, particularly following the initial ‘complete siege’ imposed by Israeli forces,” the OHCHR emphasized.
“The actions of Israeli forces have led to unprecedented levels of fatalities, injuries, starvation, illness, and disease.”
Israel’s mission to the UN in Geneva firmly rejected the OHCHR’s report, describing it as a “categorical” manifestation of the organization’s fixation on vilifying Israel.
In early November, leaders of UN agencies described the situation in northern Gaza as “under siege,” asserting that they were denied “basic aid and life-saving supplies.”
On October 15, the United States, Israel’s principal military ally, warned that it might withhold a portion of its considerable military assistance unless there were improvements in the delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip within 30 days.
As that deadline approaches, conditions have shown little sign of improvement, with a UN-supported assessment on Saturday indicating that famine is looming in northern Gaza.
The volume of aid shipments permitted into the Gaza Strip has now declined to its lowest since October 2023, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report.
The Famine Review Committee issued a warning about “an imminent and substantial likelihood of famine occurring, due to the rapidly worsening conditions in the Gaza Strip.” Israel’s military has questioned the reliability of this report.
