Dozens killed and wounded in Israeli strike in northern Gaza, medics say

By Nidal al-Mughrabi, Reuters

• Israeli strike kills dozens, Palestinian medics say
• Israeli military says strike targeted militants in Jabalia
• Hamas denies using civilians for military purposes
• Ceasefire efforts stalled, Qatar pauses mediation efforts

Dozens of people were killed and wounded in an Israeli strike on a house in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip at dawn on Sunday, Palestinian medics said.

Footage circulating on social media, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed about a dozen bodies wrapped in blankets and laid on the ground at a hospital. Residents said the building that was hit had housed at least 30 people.

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA and Hamas media put the number of people killed at 32. There was no immediate confirmation of the tally by the territory's health ministry.

Later on Sunday, the Israeli military said it struck a site in Jabalia in which "terrorists were operating."

"These terrorists posed a threat to IDF (Israeli Defence Forces) troops operating in the area. The details are under review," the Israel military said..

The military accused Hamas of exploiting civilian population and property for military purpose, a charge the militant group denies.

The Hamas armed wing said it attacked 15 Israeli soldiers with an anti-tank rocket before it "finished them off" by grenades and light weapons from a close range in Beit Lahiya. There was no Israeli comment and Reuters could not independently verify the account.

The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service says its operations have been halted by an ongoing Israeli raid into two towns and a refugee camp in northern Gaza that began on Oct. 5. It could not provide a figure for those killed in the attack.

Israel says it sent forces into Jabalia, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun in the north of the enclave to fight Hamas militants waging attacks from there and to prevent them from regrouping. It says its troops have killed hundreds of militants in those areas since the new offensive began.

In Gaza City, an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Sabra neighbourhood killed Wael Al-Khour, an official at the welfare ministry, and seven other members of his family including his wife and children on Sunday, medics and relatives said. The Israeli military said it was looking into the report.

Efforts to reach a ceasefire between the two warring sides have failed so far, with Israel and Hamas trading blame. Hamas wants an agreement that ends the war and a prisoner-for-hostages deal, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the war will only stop once Hamas is eradicated.

Qatar, which has been trying to negotiate a ceasefire along with Egypt and the United States, has told Hamas and Israel it will suspend its efforts until both sides show "willingness and seriousness" to resume talks, its foreign ministry said on Saturday.

The three nations have spent months on fruitless talks between the warring sides in Gaza and any disengagement from that process could further complicate efforts to reach a deal.

There was no official response from Hamas or Israel. The war erupted on 7 October, 2023, when Hamas gunmen attacked Israeli communities, killing around 1200 people and seizing another 253 hostages, by Israeli tallies. Israel's military campaign has levelled much of Gaza and killed around 43,500 Palestinians, Palestinian health officials say.

- Reuters