Israeli strikes kill 31 in Gaza City as offensive intensifies
At least 31 Palestinians were killed in Gaza City on Saturday, medical sources said, as Israel pressed ahead with its military offensive on the territory’s main metropolis despite international criticism.
Across the Gaza Strip, medics said a total of 47 people were killed on Saturday.
The Israeli military did not initially comment. The information provided by both sides cannot be independently verified.
The Israeli news portal ynet reported heavy bombing and a “ring of fire” in several parts of Gaza City, citing Palestinian sources.
According to information released by the Israeli military on Friday, around 480,000 Palestinians have already left the city, previously home to some 1 million people.
They are trying to make their way to al-Mawasi in the south-west of the territory, which Israel has designated as a “humanitarian zone.”
The health authorities in the Gaza Strip put the number of Palestinians killed since the start of the war at more than 65,000. Although no distinction is made between civilians and combatants, most of the victims are believed to be civilians.
Israel accuses Hamas of using civilians as human shields. The Islamist group led the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war after around 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 abducted.
