At least 70 people were killed in Israeli military airstrikes across the Gaza Strip over the last day, according to Palestinian medics on Saturday. The strikes come amid renewed efforts by mediators to broker a ceasefire to end the 15-month-long conflict.
In one of the deadliest incidents, airstrikes targeted two houses in Gaza City. The first strike hit the home of the Al-Ghoula family in the early hours of Saturday, killing 14 to 15 people, including several women and children, neighbours and medics reported.
Ahmed Ayyan, a neighbour, described the devastation: “At about 2 a.m. we were woken up by the sound of a huge explosion. Most of them are women and children. They are all civilians; there is no one there who shot missiles or is from the resistance.”
Residents combed through the rubble in search of survivors, while medics confirmed that children were among the casualties. Hours later, remnants of burning furniture and smoke lingered over the ruins.
Later in the day, another airstrike on a house in Gaza City killed five people, with emergency responders reporting that at least 10 others were feared trapped under the debris.
The Israeli military has not commented on these specific incidents but stated earlier that its forces continued operations in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, targeting a Hamas military complex.
Elsewhere, strikes in Jabalia and near the central town of Deir Al-Balah claimed six more lives, bringing the death toll to 70 since Friday, according to Palestinian health officials.
Efforts to secure a ceasefire have intensified, with mediators urging both sides to end the ongoing violence. Meanwhile, residents in Gaza continue to endure devastation, with women and children among the highest casualties.
Follow us on:
