Several were killed in an air strike in Gaza City ahead of a major offensive to capture the area.
The Israeli army has repeatedly disputed figures reported by Gaza’s civil defence agency. (EPA Images pic)
GAZA CITY: The Gaza civil defence agency said at least 48 people were killed on Thursday by Israeli strikes in the Palestinian territory, including several killed in an air strike in Gaza City ahead of a major offensive to capture the area.
According to civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal, at least eight people were killed by an air strike in the Sabra neighbourhood in Gaza City.
Sabra and the nearby Zeitoun district, have been hit hard in recent days by shelling and air strikes, according to residents.
The civil defence agency also provided details for strikes on several areas across the strip, including the al-Manasra camp in central Gaza, an aid centre in Khan Yunis in the south of the territory, and other points in the north around Gaza City.
When contacted by AFP, the Israeli military asked for coordinates and specific timeframes to comment on the reports. The army has repeatedly disputed the figures reported by the civil defence agency.
An AFP journalist at Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital saw several dead bodies brought to the grounds of the facility after being killed by Israeli strikes.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing areas in the Palestinian territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency or the Israeli military.
The war was triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Israel’s offensive has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which the UN considers reliable.
