Gaza civil defence says Israeli forces kill 23

Gaza’s civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 23 people in the war-stricken territory on Saturday, including at least three children who died when a house was struck.

“At least 23 dead and dozens of wounded were taken (to hospitals) after Israeli firing and raids” across Gaza, civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP.

Among the casualties were three children who were killed in an air strike on a home in Jabalia, northern Gaza.

AFP video footage from Gaza City showed relatives weeping over the bodies of children killed in nearby Jabalia.

Bassal said the children were among 21 people killed in six air strikes by drones and planes across the territory.

He said two other people were killed by Israeli fire while waiting for food aid in the Netzarim zone in central Gaza.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Israeli restrictions on media in the Gaza Strip and difficulties in accessing some areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers and witnesses.

Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in October 2023 in response to a deadly attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas.

After claiming victory in a 12-day war against Iran that ended with a ceasefire on June 24, the Israeli military said it would refocus on its offensive in Gaza, where Palestinian militants still hold Israeli hostages.

Hamas’s 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,412 people, also mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable.

AFP