Israeli military strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 30 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip overnight, primarily in the Nuseirat camp located in the heart of the enclave, according to medical sources. This followed a withdrawal of some tanks from areas they had previously invaded.
According to medics, 19 bodies of Palestinians were recovered from the northern parts of Nuseirat, one of the eight long-established refugee camps in the enclave.
The remaining victims were killed in various locations in the northern and southern Gaza Strip, as reported by medical personnel.
We need your consent to load this rte-player content. We use rte-player to manage extra content that may set cookies on your device and gather data regarding your activity. Please review their details and agree to load the content.Manage Preferences. No recent statement has been issued by the Israeli military; however, it claimed yesterday that its forces were still engaged in “striking terror targets as part of operational activities in the Gaza Strip”.
A number of Palestinians returned to areas where the military had withdrawn to assess the damage sustained by their homes, with some recovering the bodies of the deceased.
Medical personnel and family members wrapped the deceased, including women, in blankets or white shrouds before carrying them away on stretchers.
Destroyed and heavily damaged buildings in Nuseirat Refugee Camp
According to medical reports, an Israeli drone strike killed Ahmed Al-Kahlout, the head of the Intensive Care Unit at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, on the northern fringe of the Gaza Strip, where military operations have been ongoing since early October.
Sources at Kamal Adwan Hospital informed Reuters that Mr. Al-Kahlout was struck by a missile from the drone as he entered the hospital premises.
Earlier in the week, the hospital’s director and 12 other medical staff were injured in similar drone strikes, as reported by the Gaza health ministry.
No immediate response has been provided by the Israeli army.
Kamal Adwan Hospital is one of three medical facilities in northern Gaza that are barely functioning due to shortages of essential medical supplies, fuel, and food.
Health officials reported that most of the hospital’s medical staff have either been detained or expelled by the Israeli military.
Displacements
The Israeli army stated that its operations in Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Jabalia since October 5 were focused on preventing Hamas militants from regrouping and launching attacks from those regions.
Residents have reported that the army is effectively depopulating the areas of Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and the Jabalia refugee camp.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), stated yesterday that Israel’s offensive over the past seven weeks in northern Gaza has displaced approximately 130,000 individuals.
In a separate development, Israeli authorities released around 30 Palestinians who had been detained during the ongoing military operation in Gaza over the past few months.
Those released arrived at a southern Gaza hospital for medical evaluations, according to medical sources.
Freed Palestinians have alleged mistreatment and torture while in Israeli detention, a claim that Israel has denied.
Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza have seen little progress, and discussions are currently suspended.
A ceasefire in the concurrent conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, came into effect early Wednesday, putting an end to escalating hostilities that had overshadowed the situation in Gaza.
Scenes of destruction at the Nuseirat Refugee Camp in the central part of the Gaza Strip
This week, US President Joe Biden announced his intention to renew efforts for a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, urging both Israel and Hamas to take advantage of the opportunity.
According to Gaza officials, Israel’s military campaign has resulted in nearly 44,300 fatalities and displaced nearly the entire population of the enclave at least once.
Extensive areas of the region have been left in ruins.
Hamas-led militants, who launched attacks on southern Israeli communities 13 months ago, which triggered the conflict, caused approximately 1,200 deaths and captured over 250 hostages, as reported by Israel.
West Bank
In the meantime, a shooting incident targeting a bus near an Israeli settlement injured at least eight individuals, according to an Israeli rescue service.
Violence in the West Bank has escalated since the Gaza war began.
The latest incident occurred at an intersection near the settlement of Ariel, as stated by the Israeli military.
The military also reported that a “terrorist was neutralised on the spot”.
Of the injured, four suffered gunshot wounds, three of them critically, while four others sustained light injuries from shattered glass, according to the Magen David Adom rescue service.
Upon arrival, rescuers found three of the injured lying near the bus, conscious, and transported the critically injured individuals to the hospital in “stable condition”.
Since the onset of the Gaza war, at least 24 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during military operations in the West Bank, according to official Israeli data.
During the same period, at least 747 Palestinians have reportedly lost their lives in the West Bank as a result of actions by Israeli troops or settlers, based on an AFP count of Palestinian official figures.
All Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which have been occupied since 1967, are deemed illegal under international law.
