Israeli Air Strikes Claim Lives of 11 Palestinians in Gaza

Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip on Saturday led to the deaths of 11 Palestinians, as confirmed by the local health ministry. Among the fatalities were individuals taking shelter in a tent located in the southern area.

Munir al-Barsh, the head of the health ministry operating under Hamas, informed AFP that the airstrikes resulted in 11 deaths and injuries to 20 others, which he described as strikes targeting civilians both in a tent and in an apartment.

According to Barsh, the injured were transported to hospitals in Gaza City in the northern region and Khan Yunis in the south.

Barsh expressed concern, indicating that Israel has been violating the ceasefire agreement, exacerbating the ongoing medical supply crisis in the area which is suffering from a critical shortage of medicines and medical equipment.

A US-mediated ceasefire that commenced in October entered its second phase in January, with plans for the disarmament of Hamas, a gradual Israeli withdrawal, and the establishment of an international stabilisation force.

Both Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused one another of breaching the ceasefire.

The Hamas-led government in Gaza reported that the attack on the tent claimed the lives of seven family members, including a child and an elderly person.

Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, the health ministry has reported 509 fatalities.

Most of Gaza's inhabitants have been displaced at least once during the ongoing conflict, with hundreds of thousands still living in tents or makeshift accommodations.

The current conflict was ignited by an attack from Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in at least 1,221 Israeli fatalities according to official figures.

The Israeli military retaliation has devastated vast areas of Gaza, a territory already strained from previous conflicts and subjected to an Israeli blockade enforced since 2007.

The health ministry's toll indicates that the two-year-long conflict has resulted in over 71,769 deaths in Gaza, a figure the United Nations recognizes as credible.