Israeli air and artillery strikes on Gaza on Friday killed at least 65 people. Among the dead were 14 members of the Sultan family, who were killed when their home was completely destroyed in the At-Tawam area of Gaza City. Most of the victims were from Gaza City and northern Gaza.
The attacks also destroyed a school in the Shati refugee camp, where many displaced civilians had taken shelter. In Gaza City’s Daraj neighborhood, a drone strike killed a child and injured several others. A residential tower in western Gaza City was heavily damaged, and several nearby homes were completely leveled.
Gazan authorities reported that nearly 1.3 million people remain in Gaza City and the north, despite Israel’s repeated calls for civilians to move south. The designated “humanitarian zone” in Al-Mawasi, southern Gaza, suffers from a severe lack of water, sanitation, and basic services. Displaced residents have described life there as unbearable, with dust, grief, and the stench of death everywhere.
Hamas has condemned the strikes as violations of international law and accused Israel of committing genocide and forced displacement. The Israeli military said it struck nearly 500 targets in Gaza City over the past week in an effort to “reduce threats from the battlefield.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has approved plans to seize and control Gaza City, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.
