Gaza officials on Saturday (Dec 23) said that the Israeli strikes had claimed the lives of more than 200 people in 24 hours amidst an upsurge in violence in the West Bank.
Israel continued with its counter-offensive aiming at the southern Gaza Strip, with clouds of grey and black smoke rising over Khan Yunis city, as per news agency AFP reports.
In the past 24 hours, at least 201 deaths were reported by the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, taking the toll to 20,258 since the war broke out. Most of the victims were women and children as per reports.
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The fighting between the two sides began when the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched unprecedented attacks against Israel on Oct 7, killing about 1,140 Israelis, mostly civilians.
Israel, in response, launched retaliatory attacks vowing to destroy the Palestinian militant group.
Saturday’s strikes came after the Security Council approved a resolution demanding “immediate, safe and unhindered” deliveries of life-saving aid to Gaza “at scale”.
It also called for the creation of “conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities”, but did not seek an immediate end to combat.
The Gaza health ministry said dozens of Palestinians were killed this week and publicly “executed” in northern Gaza.
The Israeli “massacre resulted in the death of dozens” of people in Jabalia camp and Jabalia town, ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said.
Five soldiers killed in Gaza since Friday says Israeli military
Meanwhile, the Israeli military said that five of its soldiers lost their lives in the fighting since Friday (Dec 22).
The army said in a statement that four of its soldiers were killed on Friday, whereas a fifth was killed on Saturday in the Palestinian territory’s north.
This brought the number of troops killed inside the Gaza Strip to 144 since the start of Israel’s large-scale ground offensive on October 27.
UN resoltion urge more aid
On the other hand, members of the UN Security Council, late on Friday passed a resolution demanding “immediate, safe and unhindered” deliveries of life-saving aid be rushed to Gaza “at scale”.
Israel has said Gaza crossings under its control were closed for aid deliveries on Saturdays “in line with the agreement reached with the US, Egypt and the UN”, leaving only the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border open.
(With inputs from agencies)
