Israeli Attack in Gaza Kills 22, Including Journalist; Communication Disruption Feared

Gaza (The Uttam Hindu): Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have claimed the lives of 22 Palestinians including a journalist amid rising concerns over the potential collapse of Gaza’s communication systems due to fuel shortages. According to Gaza’s Civil Defense, an airstrike targeted a house in the Shujaiya area killing eight people and injuring several others. Another airstrike on the Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza resulted in seven deaths. In southern Gaza, medical officials at Nasser Hospital reported that four bodies were recovered after attacks across multiple locations in Khan Younis.

In al-Nuseirat, central Gaza, shelling and drone strikes killed three people and injured six others including Al-Ghad TV journalist Saeed Nabhan. Nabhan’s death raises the total number of journalists killed since the conflict began on October 7, 2023 to 203, according to Gaza’s government media office.

Gaza’s Communications and Digital Economy Minister, Abdul Razzaq al-Natasha warned of a complete shutdown of communication services including the internet and landlines by Friday night due to fuel shortages exacerbated by Israel’s blockade. This disruption could severely impact emergency services in the region. The conflict erupted following a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 which resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths and around 250 hostages. Gaza health officials report that Israel’s military response has claimed more than 46,000 Palestinian lives.

Lebanon Casualties

In a separate development, Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed five people and injured four others as reported by Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The General Directorate of Civil Defense recovered the bodies from the town of Khiam. Despite a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon on November 27, 2024 intermittent Israeli attacks in southern and eastern Lebanon continue to cause casualties.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated on Friday that its aircraft struck a Hezbollah weapons-laden vehicle in southern Lebanon. During a search operation in the area the IDF reportedly uncovered a multi-barrel rocket launcher, hundreds of mortar shells, explosive devices and RPG rifles. This escalation highlights the ongoing regional instability as violence continues to impact Gaza and its neighboring areas.