Gaza’s Government Media Office said on Thursday that Israeli military forces carried out 34 air strikes over the previous 24 hours, resulting in a death toll of 71, including the head of the enclave’s police force and his deputy.
Israeli attacks were reported across the embattled enclave, including in the so-called humanitarian zone of al-Mawasi and northern Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp, which has been bombed repeatedly in recent days.
Palestinians have also been killed and wounded in attacks on Gaza City’s Remal and Shujayea neighbourhoods, and the town of az-Zawayda, in the central Gaza Strip.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), says Israel’s deadly strike on southern Gaza’s displacement camp al-Mawasi is yet another signal to end the war.
“As the year begins, we got reports of yet another attack on al-Mawasi with dozens of people killed, another reminder that there is no humanitarian zone let alone a safe zone [in Gaza],” he said. “Every day without a ceasefire will bring more tragedy.”
Asked about Thursday’s reported death toll, a spokesperson for the Israeli army said the military followed international law in waging the war on Gaza and it takes “feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm”.
Among those killed on Thursday were photojournalist Hassan al-Qishaoui. At least 217 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
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