The town of Beit Lahia in northern Gaza has been left devastated after an Israeli air strike resulted in at least 93 people dead or missing, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The United States has condemned the attack as “horrifying”, as rescuers scramble to save lives in the aftermath.
Reports indicate that a five-storey residential building was hit in the strike, with harrowing images circulating on social media showing bodies covered in blankets on the floor. The Israeli military has acknowledged the incident, stating that they are looking into the details of what transpired.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been conducting operations in northern Gaza for the past two weeks, focusing on areas like Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanoun. The director of the nearby Kamal Adwan hospital in Jabalia, Hussam Abu Safia, revealed that the hospital is struggling to treat patients due to a lack of staff and medicines, with children among those being treated.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller expressed deep concern over the loss of civilian life in the attack, particularly highlighting reports of children being killed. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in a deepening humanitarian crisis in the region, with hundreds of thousands of people living in desperate conditions.
The situation in Gaza has drawn international attention, with UN human rights chief Volker Türk condemning the Israeli military’s actions and expressing concern over the impact on civilians. The ban on the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency, Unrwa, by Israel’s parliament has raised fears of further humanitarian challenges in the region.
As the conflict continues to escalate, the toll on civilians in Gaza continues to rise, with the health ministry reporting over 42,924 people killed so far. The lack of access for international journalists to verify facts on the ground further complicates the situation, leaving many questions unanswered in the midst of the ongoing violence.
