Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip resulted in the deaths of at least 28 Palestinians, including four children, according to hospital sources on Saturday.
Al-Aqsa Martyr’s Hospital officials reported that the children and two women were among a minimum of 13 casualties in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, following intense Israeli airstrikes beginning late Friday.
Near a petrol station, strikes claimed the lives of another four individuals. Nasser Hospital reported an additional 15 fatalities due to Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
The Israeli military stated that over the past 48 hours, they targeted approximately 250 locations in Gaza, including militants, booby-trapped structures, weapons caches, anti-tank missile launch sites, sniper positions, tunnels, and other Hamas-related infrastructure.
The Associated Press’ request for comment from the military regarding the civilian deaths went unanswered.
The October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 251 people.
Fifty hostages remain in captivity, with fewer than half believed to be alive, after previous releases during ceasefire agreements and other deals.
Gaza’s health ministry reports that Israel’s offensive has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, with women and children accounting for more than half of the fatalities.
The ministry, operating under the Hamas-run government in Gaza, does not differentiate between civilian and combatant casualties in its figures.
The UN and other international organizations consider the ministry’s statistics the most reliable available for war casualties.
US President Donald Trump has claimed to be near a new ceasefire agreement that could lead to further hostage releases and a potential de-escalation of the conflict.
However, recent talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over two days yielded no visible breakthrough.
