GAZA STRIP:
The Israeli military reported that three rockets were launched toward its territory on Friday from the Gaza Strip, where Palestinian rescue teams confirmed that Israeli airstrikes had killed at least 16 people, including children.
The rocket attacks mark the latest in a series of launches from the besieged territory. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz recently warned of escalating retaliatory strikes if such incidents persist.
Rocket launches from Gaza had become less frequent after more than 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hamas militants. However, the frequency has increased since late December, coinciding with Israel’s ongoing three-month land and air campaign in northern Gaza.
On Friday, the military reported that one rocket landed near the community of Nir Am in southern Israel, while another fell in an uninhabited area. Earlier, a separate rocket triggered alarms near Beeri, close to central Gaza. No casualties were reported in these incidents.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, emergency responders stated that 16 Palestinians, including several children, were killed in the Israeli airstrikes.
The strikes targeted areas in Gaza City, the Maghazi refugee camp, and the southern city of Rafah, according to Mahmud Bassal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s Civil Defense.
“Friday was particularly devastating for Gaza residents, especially in Gaza City, due to continuous bombardment,” Bassal told AFP.
Several fatalities were reported in northern and central Gaza, with two deaths recorded in the south. Among the victims were three children who died in shelling in Gaza City’s Zietun neighborhood, while an airstrike killed two individuals in Rafah, according to Civil Defense reports.
The Israeli military issued a statement claiming that its air force targeted approximately 40 Hamas-linked sites across Gaza over the past day. It alleged that some of these sites were located in areas previously used as schools.
Bassal refuted these claims, accusing the military of blocking essential supplies, including food and water, from reaching medical staff, patients, and the injured at the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia, located in northern Gaza.
