Gaza Civilian Deaths Mount as Israel Strikes Shelters, Rescuers

On the 726th day of the war in Gaza, Israeli bombardments continued across the enclave, leaving dozens of casualties and worsening the humanitarian crisis.

Fighter jets struck al-Falah school in Gaza City’s al-Zeitoun neighborhood early Wednesday, where hundreds of displaced people had taken shelter.
The attack killed 13 civilians, among them women and children, and wounded dozens more, health officials reported.

Civil defense teams rushing to the scene came under renewed Israeli fire.
The Civil Defense in Gaza said seven rescue workers were injured when drones targeted them as they tried to evacuate victims from the school.
One medic later died of wounds sustained in the strike.

Local sources said Israeli forces used dozens of high-explosive bombs during the raids.
Homes in the Nuseirat camp were also hit with incendiary munitions, adding to the destruction.

The Health Ministry in Gaza confirmed that 35 people were killed in Israeli strikes on homes and schools since midnight.
It added that two more children died of hunger and malnutrition in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll from starvation to 455, including 151 children.

Meanwhile, Hamas reiterated its rejection of any plan requiring it to disarm or accept the deployment of international forces in Gaza.
A source told the BBC the group considers such proposals “a new form of occupation.”

The bombardments, which targeted both civilians and rescuers, underscore the rising toll of Israel’s campaign, as hospitals, schools and aid workers continue to come under fire.

The Israeli army has killed over 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.