Israeli strikes kill 24 Palestinians in Gaza since dawn

Gaza Strip: At least 24 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes and gunfire across the Gaza Strip since dawn on Sunday, according to medical sources cited by Al Jazeera.

Wafa News Agency reported that eight people, including women and children, were killed early in the morning when Israeli warplanes struck two homes in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Several others were injured.

The Israeli army has continued large-scale demolition operations, bombing and levelling residential buildings in both northern and southern Gaza City. Witnesses described widespread destruction as apartment blocks were reduced to rubble.

The latest wave of strikes follows heavy bombardments on Saturday, which left at least 98 Palestinians dead, including a journalist, in multiple parts of Gaza. In one of the deadliest incidents, 12 civilians, among them children, were killed and about 60 others injured when warplanes struck a crowded market area in Nuseirat camp.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the army was “intensifying its strikes in Gaza and advancing to the decisive stage”. He added that more than 750,000 Palestinians had been displaced from Gaza City to the south. Writing on X, Katz warned, “If Hamas does not release all hostages and give up its weapons, Gaza will be destroyed and Hamas will be eliminated.”

Since the war began in October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed at least 65,926 Palestinians and injured more than 167,800, according to documented figures. The conflict has also devastated displacement camps, where thousands of tents have either been destroyed by airstrikes or left uninhabitable due to harsh weather.

As the humanitarian crisis deepens, civilians continue to bear the brunt of the war, facing relentless bombardment, mass displacement and worsening living conditions.