Israeli air attacks across the Gaza Strip killed at least 38 Palestinians on Wednesday, with the majority of fatalities occurring in a strike on a house in Beit Lahiya, according to medics. The Beit Lahiya strike resulted in the deaths of at least 22 individuals, including women and children, as health officials reported. Relatives of the deceased shared their names on social media.
Reports indicate that over 30 people were residing in the multi-storey building before it was targeted, and several family members remain unaccounted for as rescue operations continued into the morning, as reported by the Palestinian WAFA news agency.
The Israeli military stated it conducted a strike aimed at Hamas militants near the Kamal Adwan Hospital, located between Beit Lahiya and Jabalia, towns that have been under Israeli siege for two months. The military described the number of fatalities reported by Palestinian medics and media as “inaccurate” and inconsistent with their information.
In Beit Hanoun, also under siege, medics reported that an Israeli airstrike resulted in multiple casualties, although an exact toll was not provided. Rescue workers indicated that several individuals were trapped under the rubble.
Earlier on Wednesday, at least seven Palestinians were killed and several others wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza. Additionally, nine other individuals were killed in three separate airstrikes on two houses and a crowd in Gaza City, including journalist Eman Al-Shanti, her husband, and three of their children. Al-Shanti’s death marks her as the 193rd journalist killed by Israel since the onset of the Gaza war in October 2023, according to the Palestinian Union of Journalists.
Israeli Military Claims Success Against Hamas Commanders
In a statement, the Israeli military announced the killing of two senior Hamas commanders in separate airstrikes. These individuals were reportedly involved in the October 7, 2023, cross-border attack on Israel that initiated the current conflict. One of the commanders, Fahmi Selmi, was said to have operated from a former school in Gaza City’s Zeitoun suburb at the time of the airstrike, although the military did not disclose the timing of the attack. The second commander, Salah Dahman, was previously reported killed in an airstrike last week.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli military reported that two rockets were fired from the central Gaza Strip into Israel but fell in open areas, causing no injuries. This incident highlighted the ongoing capability of Gaza militants to launch rocket attacks despite extensive Israeli aerial and ground offensives over the past 14 months.
In response to rocket launches from the area, the Israeli military ordered residents in the Al-Maghazi camp in central Gaza to evacuate, directing them towards a humanitarian-designated zone near the Mediterranean coast. However, Palestinian and United Nations officials have stated that there are no safe areas in the heavily devastated territory. Israel maintains that civilian harm is a result of Palestinian militants operating among them, a claim that Hamas denies.
Ongoing Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis
Fighting has primarily concentrated in the densely populated northern regions, where Israeli armored forces have been active in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya, and Jabalia since October 5. Israel asserts that its military operations aim to prevent Hamas militants from regrouping and launching further attacks from these areas. Conversely, Palestinian officials and residents accuse Israel of attempting to depopulate the region to establish a buffer zone along the northern coastal territory, a claim that Israel denies.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas has escalated since the October 7, 2023, incursion by Hamas-led militants into southwestern Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the abduction of over 250 hostages, according to Israeli figures. The subsequent military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has reportedly resulted in the deaths of more than 44,800 Palestinians and the displacement of a significant portion of the 2.3 million population, according to Gaza health authorities.
