A. Rahman
At least 28 Palestinians have been killed and dozens more wounded after a series of Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip, according to residents and local health officials. The violence represents a sharp escalation in the conflict between Israeli forces and armed groups in the Palestinian territory, prompting international concern over mounting civilian casualties and the risk of a broader outbreak of hostilities.
The strikes hit several populated areas of Gaza City and surrounding neighbourhoods, residents told news outlets, causing destruction to residential buildings and forcing families to flee. Gaza’s health ministry, which operates under the Hamas-led government in the territory, issued updates on the death toll and the number of injured, warning that the situation remains volatile.
Israeli authorities said their aircraft targeted what they described as militant infrastructure and launch sites used by Hamas and other armed factions. Officials in Jerusalem stated the operation was meant to disrupt planned attacks and degrade the capability of armed groups to fire rockets and mortars into Israeli territory.
The strikes follow a period of rising tensions along the Israel-Gaza boundary, including rocket fire from Gaza and Israeli military reprisals. Humanitarian groups have expressed alarm about the impact of intensified fighting on civilians, particularly women and children, who make up a significant portion of the population in the densely populated enclave.
The United Nations and other international bodies have called for restraint from both sides, emphasizing the need to protect non-combatants and adhere to international humanitarian law. Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the violence are reportedly underway, but so far few concrete signs of progress have emerged.
In the hours after the strikes, local hospitals were overwhelmed with patients, while emergency crews worked amid rubble to rescue those trapped under damaged buildings. Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with families searching for missing relatives and neighbours helping where they could.
The latest deaths add to the long toll of the decades-long conflict between Israel and Palestinian armed factions. Previous flare-ups have repeatedly drawn international condemnations and urgent calls for ceasefires from governments and rights groups around the world.
Summary:
At least 28 Palestinians were killed and many more injured in a new round of Israeli air strikes on Gaza, intensifying violence between Israeli forces and armed groups in the territory. Officials say the strikes targeted militants, while humanitarian organizations warn about civilian suffering. International leaders have called for calm as the conflict continues.
