Thirteen individuals lost their lives in Israeli airstrikes targeting homes in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza on Saturday, as reported by hospital officials and Gaza’s Civil Defense.
The casualties resulted from two separate strikes within the camp. In response to CNN’s inquiry regarding the latest attacks, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated: “Overnight, the IDF struck terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip, including terrorists and terrorist infrastructure sites in the area of Nuseirat.”
“The IDF is making significant efforts to mitigate harm to uninvolved civilians and is operating in accordance with international law against the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip that are systematically and cynically operating from within civilian infrastructure.”
Gaza’s Civil Defense reported that a residential block south of Nuseirat was also hit, with hospital officials confirming the reception of three bodies. “A short while ago, one tower [block] was bombed,” Mahdi Abdullah, a displaced resident from northern Gaza currently in Nuseirat, told CNN. “The situation is difficult here, and I am waiting for things to calm down so that I can return to my place.”
The Israeli military has conducted multiple deadly strikes on Nuseirat, including targeting several UN-run schools housing displaced individuals. The military stated that its targets were Hamas compounds operating within these schools. Residents of Nuseirat describe living in constant fear of bombings and a worsening humanitarian situation.
“The situation is scary,” said Rahma Abu Hajjaj, a 39-year-old mother of five from Nuseirat. “There are no warnings, there are no alarms when homes are bombed. We are hiding all the time and do not know why these homes are being targeted.”
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that 37 people have been killed and 54 injured in the past 24 hours due to ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip. The ministry stated that the total number of deaths since October 7 now stands at 38,919, with another 89,622 people injured. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures.
Israel initiated its ground campaign in Gaza following Hamas’ attacks on October 7, which resulted in around 1,200 deaths.
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