At least 50 people were killed in Israeli air strikes on the Jabalia area of northern Gaza, according to the Indonesian Hospital. Among the dead were 22 children and 15 women. Several homes were destroyed in the attacks, which occurred overnight.
The Israeli military said it is reviewing the reports. It had previously issued evacuation warnings to residents of Jabalia and nearby areas after rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel.
The United Nations’ humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, called on the UN Security Council to act to prevent further civilian suffering.
He criticized Israel’s blockade of Gaza and a proposed plan to use private companies to distribute aid. Israel’s UN representative, Danny Danon, denied the allegations and said the aid system was being exploited by Hamas.
Local officials reported 70 deaths across Gaza from Israeli strikes on Wednesday, most in Jabalia. Residents described multiple explosions overnight.
A man named Hadi Moqbel said his family members, including a two-month-old baby, were killed when their house was hit.
The Israeli military said it would attack any area from which rockets are launched.
It said three rockets were fired into Israel on Tuesday, two of which were intercepted. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group claimed responsibility.
Gaza is experiencing severe shortages of food and fuel. The UN says that 70% of the territory is either under evacuation orders or inside military no-go zones.
UN-supported bakeries and most community kitchens have shut down. A UN assessment found that all 2.1 million residents face high levels of food insecurity, with half a million at risk of starvation.
Israel halted aid deliveries on 2 March and resumed military operations on 18 March. Israel says it is meeting its legal obligations and that aid was delivered during the previous ceasefire.
On Monday, Hamas released Edan Alexander, the last known Israeli-American hostage in Gaza.
The group called it a goodwill gesture to U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump, speaking in Riyadh, said he expects more hostages to be freed soon. U.S. envoys are holding talks in Qatar.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the military would soon expand its operations in Gaza. He said Israeli forces would enter the territory with full force and that the war would not stop.
On Tuesday, a strike on a hospital compound in Khan Younis killed 28 people, according to local officials.
The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas command center under the hospital. Israeli media reported that the strike aimed to kill Mohammed Sinwar, a senior Hamas commander.
Since Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and led to the capture of 251 hostages, more than 52,900 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
