An alleged Israeli airstrike killed 18 people in central Gaza on Sunday morning, Palestinian medical authorities said. The strike hit a mosque which was sheltering displaced people near the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the town of Deir al-Balah, the hospital said in a statement.
The hospital records showed that all the deceased were men. Two people have been critically injured.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment about the strike on the mosque.
According to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Health Ministry, the death toll in Gaza since October 7 2023 has risen to nearly 42,000 according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths, but many of the dead were women and children.
Meanwhile, Hamas said on Saturday that an Israeli strike on a refugee camp in north Lebanon had killed Hamas official Saeed Atallah Ali and his family. Hamas later said another military wing member was killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley.
Israel began its ground operations in Lebanon against Hezbollah last week. 9 of its soldiers have died in the conflict in southern Lebanon.
Nearly 2000 Hezbollah fighters and civilians have died in Israel’s strikes against the militant group’s positions in south Lebanon.
Israel and Hezbollah have traded fire across the Lebanon border almost daily since the day after Hamas’ cross-border attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 Israelis and took 250 others hostage. Israel declared war on the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip in response.
Meanwhile, ahead of the anniversary of the October 7 attack, Israel placed its forces on alert.
“We are prepared with increased forces in anticipation for this day” when there could be “attacks on the home front”, said military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari on Saturday.
The October 7 attack killed 1200 people, mostly civilians, pushing the Middle East region to the brink of a wider conflict.
Earlier this month, Iran attacked Israel following the death of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Israel has vowed to avenge the attack.
With inputs from AFP, AP
