Israeli airstrikes intensify in Gaza, 40 Palestinians killed amidst escalating conflict

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Friday, August 9th, 2024

RKI Web Desk

CAIRO: Israeli forces intensified airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 40 people, according to Palestinian medics, as clashes with Hamas fighters escalated and Israel prepared for a potential broader conflict in the region.

The airstrikes targeted multiple locations, including a cluster of houses in the central Gaza’s Al-Bureij camp, where 15 people were killed, and the nearby Al-Nuseirat camp, where four more lost their lives. In northern Gaza, a strike on a house in Gaza City resulted in five deaths, while in Khan Younis in the south, one person was killed, and several others were injured, medics reported.

Later in the day, Israeli bombings of two schools east of Gaza City claimed 15 more lives and injured 30 others, according to the territory’s Civil Emergency Service.

Footage circulating on social media showed casualties being transported to hospitals on donkey carts. The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad responded with anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs, reportedly causing casualties among Israeli forces operating in Gaza.

Israel’s military stated that it had targeted dozens of military sites across Gaza in the past 24 hours, including rocket launching pads. Since October 7 of last year, 39,699 Palestinians have been killed, with 22 deaths reported within the last 24 hours, and 91,722 have been injured, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Meanwhile, Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi announced plans to coordinate with allies in the region, warning of a collective response to Israeli actions.