Israeli-Gaza conflict/ humanitarian aid Gaza/ Palestinian casualties/ Gaza airstrikes/ Israel Hamas conflict/ U.N. aid Gaza/ Newslooks/ DEIR AL-BALAH/ Gaza Strip/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israeli airstrikes killed at least 13 people in Gaza on Saturday, targeting a school-turned-shelter and a tent housing displaced residents, Palestinian officials reported. Meanwhile, Israel delivered aid to northern Gaza for the first time in weeks, though some supplies were redirected by Israeli forces.
“Israel-Gaza Conflict Update Quick Looks”
- Casualties in Strikes: Israeli airstrikes killed 13, including women and children, in Gaza.
- Targeted Areas: Strikes hit a school shelter in Gaza City and a tent in Khan Younis.
- Aid Reaches North Gaza: Israel allowed aid trucks with food, water, and medical supplies into northern Gaza for the first time in weeks.
- Aid Obstacles: Some aid was redirected by Israeli troops, limiting its reach.
- Escalation in Northern Gaza: Israel’s focus remains on the northern areas, targeting Jabaliya and nearby towns.
- Civilians Displaced: U.N. reports indicate 90% of Gaza’s residents have been displaced.
Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill 13 as First Aid Reaches North
Deep Look
In escalating violence, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 13 people in Gaza on Saturday, Palestinian health officials reported, including women, children, and journalists seeking shelter. The strikes came amid a fresh wave of conflict as Israel delivered the first aid to northern Gaza in weeks, addressing urgent humanitarian needs in the war-ravaged region.
Strikes on Civilians and Reported Targets
One of the airstrikes struck a former school serving as a temporary shelter in Gaza City’s Tufah neighborhood. Gaza’s Health Ministry confirmed the deaths of six individuals, including two journalists, a pregnant woman, and a child. Israeli forces stated they targeted a member of Palestinian Islamic Jihad but did not provide further evidence or specifics.
In a separate attack, seven civilians died when an Israeli missile hit a tent shelter in Khan Younis, a southern city where displaced people have been seeking refuge. Victims included two women and a child. The Israeli military did not immediately address the specifics of the Khan Younis strike.
Aid Reaches North Gaza Amid Mounting Pressure
Saturday’s strikes coincided with Israel’s announcement of delivering 11 trucks of aid supplies, including food, water, and medical equipment, into northern Gaza — a move that had not occurred since the renewed conflict last month. The supplies reached Jabaliya, a densely populated refugee camp in the northern area, but U.N. officials reported that the aid was restricted in its distribution. The U.N. World Food Program noted that Israeli forces rerouted some of the shipments bound for Beit Lahiya, ordering the aid to be offloaded before reaching its intended destination.
The aid delivery comes ahead of an approaching U.S. deadline, urging Israel to expand humanitarian aid access throughout Gaza. With reports from humanitarian groups pointing to the likelihood of a famine in parts of northern Gaza, the urgency for uninterrupted aid distribution is intensifying.
Concentration of Israeli Operations in Northern Gaza
Israel’s military campaign has intensified in the densely populated northern towns, particularly in Jabaliya, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun. Israeli forces claim these areas have become regrouping points for Hamas forces and have conducted several strikes on locations where they say militant activities occur. However, the strikes often impact civilian areas as well. According to U.N. estimates, tens of thousands remain in these northern zones, despite warnings to evacuate.
Efforts to transport injured civilians to safer areas have been hindered. The Gaza Health Ministry reported that emergency medical resources and ambulances are largely absent north of Gaza City, creating additional risks for those still in the conflict zones.
Civilian Casualties and Displacement in Gaza
The humanitarian impact of the ongoing conflict has been severe. U.N. data indicates that 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced since the conflict began, with schools, tent camps, and temporary shelters packed beyond capacity. The Israeli military asserts that Hamas has embedded itself in civilian structures, complicating Israel’s efforts to avoid civilian casualties during targeted strikes.
Since Israel’s campaign against Hamas escalated, hospitals, U.N. shelters, and schools have been hit, leading to significant civilian loss of life. A July airstrike on a girls’ school in Deir al-Balah killed at least 30 people, with Israel claiming it was targeting a Hamas command center.
Casualty Figures in a Prolonged Conflict
Over a year into this intensified conflict, Gaza’s Health Ministry reports more than 43,000 lives lost, including women and children. While the official numbers do not differentiate between civilians and combatants, officials say that over half of those killed were non-combatants. The current hostilities erupted after a Hamas-led assault on Israeli territory on Oct. 7, 2023, which left 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, dead and saw another 250 people abducted.
With both sides entrenched and humanitarian conditions worsening, the toll on civilian life continues to mount, and international calls for humanitarian intervention grow more urgent.
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