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At least 17 people were killed early Friday in the Gaza Strip following an Israeli airstrike that hit a residential building in the southern city of Khan Younis, the Associated Press reported. Hospital staff confirmed that several members of the same family were among the casualties. Hours after the attack, rescue teams were still digging through the rubble in search of survivors, while some bodies were recovered and covered in blankets.
According to the report, Israel’s ongoing military offensive has already claimed over 100 lives in recent days. Israel has expanded its operations in an attempt to pressure Hamas to release its remaining hostages. Early Friday, Israel also announced that ground troops had entered northern Gaza to extend its security zone.
The attack on Khan Younis came after Israel announced its military strategy to seize large parts of Gaza, with the aim of creating a new security corridor across the region. Over 280,000 Palestinians have been displaced since the ceasefire ended last month, the report said, citing estimates from the UN humanitarian office.
Meanwhile, Israel’s monthlong blockade on food, fuel and aid has severely affected Gaza’s civilian population. Rights groups have condemned the move as a violation of international law, describing it as a form of collective punishment. Israel, however, has claimed that sufficient supplies were delivered during a recent six-week truce.
The strike in Khan Younis, which hit a three-storey building, also injured at least 16 people from the same family. Eyewitnesses and residents described scenes of devastation, with charred remains and bodies being pulled from the rubble, the report said.
The ongoing war, which began with Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, has left Gaza in ruins, with over 50,000 Palestinians reported dead, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which further said that more than half of those killed were women and children.
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