Gaza City: Israeli airstrikes targeting the central Gaza Strip on Wednesday afternoon resulted in the death of 16 Palestinians and injuries to others.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Israeli fighter jets struck the vicinity of Abdullah Azzam Mosque in a refugee camp, resulting in the deaths of six civilians and injuries to additional individuals. Concurrently, the vicinity of the al-Qassam Mosque in the same camp was targeted, leading to five fatalities and several casualties.
Israeli forces also targeted areas west of al-Zawaida, where tents sheltering displaced people were hit, killing two civilians. An airstrike near ash-Shuhada Junction in the central Strip claimed the life of another civilian and injured two more individuals.
The renewed aggression follows Israel's unilateral decision to end the Gaza ceasefire agreement on Tuesday, March 18. Since then, a series of airstrikes across the Strip have resulted in hundreds of Palestinian deaths, including over 100 children. The current death toll stands at 506, with 909 others wounded, medical sources report. Efforts are ongoing to recover victims trapped under rubble.
The military actions have exacerbated concerns over the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, which remains under siege with restrictions on medical and humanitarian aid. Since the escalation in October 2023, Israeli operations have claimed 50,183 Palestinian lives, predominantly women and children, and injured 113,828 more. Additionally, at least 10,000 individuals remain unaccounted for, believed to be buried under debris.
The conflict has led to the displacement of nearly two million people across Gaza, with most seeking refuge in the densely populated southern city of Rafah near the Egyptian border. This displacement marks the largest mass exodus in Palestine since the 1948 Nakba.
