Dozens killed as Israeli strikes on Gaza humanitarian zone spark desperate search for buried victims
At least 40 people were killed and 60 wounded, local news agency WAFA said, in an Israeli strike early Tuesday that left craters up to 10 meters (32 feet) deep in a humanitarian area of the Gaza Strip. Israel disputed the death toll and said it targeted “significant” Hamas militants.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says over 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the Israel-Hamas war began. It does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its count. The war has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, often multiple times.
Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in their Oct. 7 attack. They abducted another 250 and are still holding around 100 after releasing most of the rest in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel during a weeklong cease-fire last November. Around a third of the remaining hostages are believed to be dead.
- Associated Press and agencies