Israeli strikes on home and refugee camp in Gaza kill at least 26, say medics
Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip have killed at least 26 people, including one that hit a home where displaced people were sheltering in the isolated north, killing 19, according to Palestinian medical officials.
That strike occurred in the northern town of Beit Lahiya, near the border with Israel, according to the Kamal Adwan Hospital, which received the bodies.
Hospital records show that a family of eight were among those killed, including four children, their parents and two grandparents.
Another strike in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed at least seven people, according to the Awda Hospital.
Records show the dead included two children, their parents and three relatives.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Israel has been waging a renewed offensive against Hamas militants in northern Gaza since early October. The military says it tries to avoid harming civilians and accuses militants of hiding among them, putting their lives in danger.
The army said militants in central Gaza fired four projectiles into Israel on Wednesday, two of which were intercepted. The other two fell in open areas, and there were no reports of casualties.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7 2023, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 people, including children and older adults.
Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 44,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health officials. They say women and children make up more than half the dead but do not distinguish between fighters and civilians in their count.
Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.