At least 18 killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

Gaza (The Uttam Hindu): At least 18 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on the central and northern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian sources. Local sources and eyewitnesses reported that Israeli warplanes targeted an apartment in the multi-story "Yaffa" tower in the al-Nuseirat camp, located in central Gaza. A statement from Al-Awda Hospital in the camp confirmed that eight people were killed and 14 others injured, some seriously, in the attack. In northern Gaza, Israeli shelling struck a house belonging to the "Khilla" family in Jabalia Al-Balad, killing 10 people and injuring several others, according to the Gaza Strip's Civil Defence. The Israeli army has not commented on these incidents, Xinhua news agency reported. Also on Friday, the military wing of Hamas, Al-Qassam Brigades, announced that one of its fighters had carried out a suicide attack targeting an Israeli force of six soldiers in Jabalia refugee camp, northern Gaza. The Israeli army has not issued a comment on this incident. Earlier on Thursday at least 16 Palestinians were killed by Israeli bombings in northern Gaza, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported. At least 10 people were killed on Wednesday night and some others injured when the Israeli aircraft bombed the house of the Al-Najjar family in the town of Jabalia, WAFA said.

Six more people were killed due to Israeli bombing on the house of the Al-Zaytouniya family near the Al-Tabi'in School in the Al-Daraj neighborhood, east of Gaza City, it added. The Israeli army has not commented on these incidents, Xinhua news agency reported. Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza in retaliation for the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault on southern Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 250 hostages taken. As of Friday, the Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in Gaza has risen to 45,206, according to Gaza-based health authorities.