Israeli Strikes Kill 14 in Gaza

According to Palestinian medical officials, at least 14 people, including two children and a woman, were killed in two Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, mostly within a designated humanitarian zone. The first strike, on Monday night, targeted a makeshift cafeteria in Muwasi, an area where displaced people have been taking refuge. This strike reportedly killed 11 people, including two children, with footage from the scene showing people being pulled from the wreckage of tables and chairs in a metal-enclosed area.

This incident happened shortly after Israel announced it would expand the zone where displaced Palestinians are advised to seek safety. Currently, hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are staying in temporary camps around Muwasi, an area with limited facilities on Gaza’s southern Mediterranean coast. Israel is under pressure from the Biden administration to increase aid access into Gaza or face potential limits on U.S. military support. While Israel has taken some steps, a report from eight international aid organizations on Tuesday stated that these efforts have fallen short of U.S. expectations.

Early Tuesday, another strike targeted a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing three people, including a woman, and injuring 11 others, according to al-Awda Hospital.

The Israeli military has not commented on either incident. Since Israel began its 13-month campaign in Gaza, over 43,000 Palestinians have been killed, as reported by local health officials who include both civilians and militants in their count, with more than half of the deaths reported to be women and children. Israel maintains that it targets Hamas operatives, attributing civilian casualties to the group’s operations within populated areas.