Assault follows deadly Thursday in which at least 70 Palestinians were killed in widespread Israeli attacks
GAZA — At least 18 Palestinians were killed and several others wounded early Friday in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip as the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.
Medical sources told Anadolu that seven Palestinians were killed and others injured when Israeli forces bombed a family home in Jabalia al-Nazla, in northern Gaza.
Five Palestinians were killed in two separate attacks on civilian gatherings in Jabalia, in the northern part of the strip.
Three more were killed when two tents sheltering displaced people in western Khan Younis were hit by Israeli shelling, they added.
Two more Palestinians were killed and several injured when a civilian vehicle was struck in Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Younis. Another was killed by Israeli gunfire in the al-Shakoush area, northwest of Rafah.
The Israeli army also demolished residential homes in the al-Tuffah neighborhood of eastern Gaza City and in al-Qarara town, north of Khan Younis.
Overnight, the Israeli army ordered Palestinians living in parts of northern Gaza to evacuate westward as it expands its offensive in a move toward a permanent occupation of the enclave.
The latest assault follows a deadly Thursday in which nearly 70 Palestinians were killed in widespread Israeli air and artillery attacks across the besieged territory.
Israel has pursued a devastating offensive in Gaza since October 2023, killing over 54,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave’s more than 2 million population.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave. — AA
