US Calls Deadly Israeli Air Strike In Gaza ‘Horrifying’

At least 93 people were reported dead or missing following an Israeli air strike on the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahia, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.

The strike, which targeted a five-story residential building, was labeled “horrifying” by the United States, with State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller voicing deep concerns over the civilian casualties. Social media footage showed bodies covered in blankets on the ground.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged reports of civilian harm and said investigations were underway.

IDF operations have intensified in northern Gaza, targeting areas such as Jabalia, Beit Lahia, and Beit Hanoun. Israeli forces maintain their operations aim to dismantle Hamas infrastructure, accusing the group of using civilians as shields, which Hamas denies.

Read Also: Nearly 200,000 Displaced In Lebanon Amid Escalating Israeli Strikes

The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, located nearby in Jabalia, reported severe shortages of staff and medical supplies, exacerbated by the IDF’s detention of medical personnel last week.

He said only basic first aid supplies remain, with injured children among those being treated.

Matthew Miller emphasized the tragic civilian toll, including reports of children among the dead, and called for an end to the conflict, warning of a “tragic cost to civilians.” Israel’s recent legislation banning the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency from operating within its borders has raised concerns about the humanitarian impact on Gaza’s residents.

The current conflict escalated after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which left around 1,200 people dead and over 250 taken hostage.