By An Israeli airstrike killed at least 20 people, primarily women and children, in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya late Monday, Palestinian health officials reported, as Israel intensifies operations in a region already devastated by nearly a month of fighting.
The strike hit a home sheltering multiple displaced families, according to Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, director of the recently raided Kamal Adwan Hospital. The Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency service reported eight women and six children among the dead. Separate strikes early Tuesday claimed an additional 10 lives across Gaza, including four children and two women.
Israeli military officials said they targeted “a weapons storage facility from which a militant had operated,” stating that “numerous steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians.” The military has ordered complete evacuation of Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and the Jabaliya refugee camp, while restricting humanitarian aid access for over a month.
The restrictions have drawn criticism from the Biden administration, which warned that U.S. laws might require curbing military aid to Israel if more humanitarian assistance isn’t permitted. The situation has forced tens of thousands to flee toward Gaza City, contributing to massive displacement within the territory, where approximately 90% of the 2.3 million residents have been forced to relocate during the conflict.
Medical services in northern Gaza have largely collapsed. The three hospitals serving the area remain mostly inaccessible due to fighting, and ambulance services have ceased operations. Israeli forces raided Kamal Adwan Hospital last month, alleging Hamas militants were using it for shelter — claims Palestinian health officials deny.
In Gaza City’s Tufah neighborhood, an airstrike killed two children and their parents, while a strike on a tent in Zuweida killed four people, including a mother and two children. In Deir al-Balah, an attack claimed two more lives, according to Palestinian officials.
The military campaign has intensified concerns among Palestinians about potential implementation of a “surrender-or-starve” strategy for northern Gaza, proposed by former Israeli generals. While Israeli military officials deny receiving such orders, the government hasn’t clarified its position on the plan.
The conflict, which began with Hamas’s October 7 attack that killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel and took 250 hostages, has resulted in over 43,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry reports that more than half of the casualties are women and children, though it doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count.
About 100 hostages remain in Gaza, with roughly one-third believed to be deceased. The Israeli military maintains it targets only militants while acknowledging they operate in civilian areas, rarely commenting on individual strikes that result in civilian casualties.
