At least 22 Palestinians were killed and dozens more wounded on Saturday in a series of Israeli airstrikes across northern and central Gaza, medical and civil defence officials in the territory said, in one of the deadliest single-day escalations since the October ceasefire.
Rescue teams and Gaza’s civil defence said strikes hit homes and a civilian vehicle in multiple areas including Gaza City’s Rimal neighbourhood, Deir al-Balah and the Nuseirat refugee camp. Local hospitals reported that children were among the dead and many of the wounded were taken to overwhelmed emergency wards.
The Israeli military said the strikes were carried out in response to what it described as gunfire and a breach of the separation line by militants, asserting the strikes targeted militant operatives. Israeli statements framed the actions as a response to ceasefire violations; Palestinian groups denied the claims and accused Israel of using alleged incidents as a pretext for renewed attacks.
The casualty figures come as international mediators and the United Nations press for enforcement of a fragile, U.S.-backed ceasefire that has held only unevenly since Oct. 10. Gaza authorities and humanitarian organisations warned that repeated flare-ups threaten to unravel the limited returns of displaced people and the fragile flow of aid into the strip.
Witnesses described scenes of destruction and frantic rescue efforts. In Gaza City a damaged vehicle — reported by medics to have been struck was surrounded by onlookers and emergency teams, while in refugee camps rescuers searched rubble for survivors. Hospitals, many already operating at reduced capacity, reported surges of casualties stretching surgical and emergency resources.
The strikes drew condemnation and concern from several governments and humanitarian agencies, which urged all parties to avoid further escalation and to protect civilians. The rising toll since the truce began which Gaza health authorities say has included hundreds of deaths from repeated ceasefire violations has intensified calls for stronger international measures to stabilize the enclave.
Reporting on casualty totals in Gaza is complicated by restricted access and differing tallies from Gaza health authorities, civil defence crews and independent agencies; the figures cited above are those provided by medical and civil defence officials in Gaza and reported by multiple news organisations.
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