DEIR EL-BALAH – According to officials, Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip resulted in the deaths of at least nine Palestinians, predominantly women and children. This occurred as the more than 15-month conflict continued into the new year with no sign of resolution.
Among the incidents was an attack on a residence in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza, characterized as the most remote and severely affected region of the territory due to a significant Israeli military operation that began in early October.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says seven people were killed, including a woman and four children, and that at least a dozen other people were wounded.
A subsequent strike during the night and extending into Wednesday targeted the densely populated Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, resulting in the deaths of a woman and a child, as reported by Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital where the bodies were taken.
The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and abducting around 250. About 100 hostages are still held in Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Israel’s air and ground offensive has killed over 45,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. It says women and children make up more than half the fatalities but does not say how many of those killed were militants.
The Israeli military says it only targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian deaths because its fighters operate in dense residential areas. It says it has killed 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.
The war has caused widespread destruction and displaced some 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, many of them multiple times.
Hundreds of thousands are living in tents on the coast as winter brings frequent rainstorms and temperatures drop below 10 degrees Celsius (50 F) at night. At least four infants have died of hypothermia.
American and Arab mediators have spent nearly a year trying to broker a ceasefire and hostage release, but those efforts have repeatedly stalled as Hamas demands a lasting ceasefire and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu vows to keep fighting until “total victory” over the militants.
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Magdy reported from Cairo.
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