Gaza rescuers say Israel kills 33 in morning strikes

A drone view reveals smoke above Beit Hanoun within the Gaza Strip, amid the continued battle in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, as seen from close to Kibbutz Nir Am in southern Israel, December 12, 2024.
| Picture Credit score: Reuters

Gaza’s civil defence company reported that Israeli air strikes on Thursday killed not less than 33 individuals, together with 12 guards securing assist vehicles in southern elements of the Palestinian territory.

The most recent bloodshed got here simply hours after the UN Normal Meeting referred to as for a right away ceasefire within the devastated territory.

Seven guards have been killed in a strike in Rafah, whereas one other assault left 5 guards useless in Khan Yunis, company spokesman Mahmud Bassal stated.

“The occupation as soon as once more focused these securing the help vehicles,” Bassal advised AFP, including that round 30 individuals, most of them kids, have been additionally wounded within the strikes.

“The vehicles carrying flour have been on their solution to UNRWA warehouses,” Bassal famous, referring to the United Nations company for Palestinian refugees.

“The occupation goals to destroy all providers for residents throughout the Gaza Strip.”

Witnesses later advised AFP that residents looted flour from the vehicles after the strikes.

The Israeli army stated its forces “performed exact strikes” in a single day on armed Hamas militants current within the humanitarian hall in southern Gaza.

“All the terrorists that have been eradicated have been members of Hamas and deliberate to violently hijack humanitarian assist vehicles and switch them to Hamas in assist of constant terrorist exercise, stopping them from reaching Gazan civilians, as was achieved in earlier circumstances,” the army alleged in an announcement.

The United Nations and different assist companies have repeatedly warned in regards to the acute humanitarian disaster within the Gaza Strip, exacerbated by the struggle that has persevered for greater than 14 months.

Folks in Gaza Strip

“Circumstances for individuals throughout the Gaza Strip are appalling and apocalyptic,” UNRWA spokeswoman Louise Wateridge advised journalists throughout a go to to Nuseirat in central Gaza.

She added that life-saving assist to “besieged areas in north Gaza governorate has been largely blocked” because the Israeli army launched a sweeping assault a number of weeks in the past.

Israeli air strikes on two houses close to Nuseirat refugee camp and Gaza Metropolis killed 21 extra individuals, together with kids, the civil defence company stated.

Fifteen individuals, not less than six of them kids, died “because of an Israeli bombing” of a constructing sheltering displaced individuals close to Nuseirat, Basal stated.

The our bodies of six others killed in a strike on an condo in Gaza Metropolis have been taken to a hospital morgue, he added.

Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed tens of 1000’s of individuals and devastated the coastal territory since a Hamas assault on southern Israel ignited the struggle.

UN Normal Meeting adopted a decision on Gaza ceasefire

Within the newest diplomatic effort to finish the violence, the UN Normal Meeting adopted a decision on Wednesday calling for a right away and unconditional ceasefire.

The non-binding decision was rejected by america, Israel’s predominant army backer.

Nonetheless, in latest days, there have been indications that beforehand stalled ceasefire negotiations might be revived.

Households of the 96 hostages nonetheless in Gaza, together with 34 the Israeli army says are useless, are urgent for his or her launch.

Militants kidnapped 251 hostages in the course of the October 7, 2023 assault on Israel, which killed 1,208 individuals, largely civilians, in line with an AFP tally based mostly on official figures.

This rely consists of hostages who died or have been killed whereas held in Gaza.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed not less than 44,805 individuals in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, in line with figures from the Hamas-run territory’s well being ministry that the United Nations considers dependable.