Over 60 Palestinians were killed overnight in Israeli military strikes throughout the region, according to a report released early on Monday by Gaza’s health ministry, which is operated by Hamas.
It said dozens of people were also wounded in what the militant group’s media office described as “intense” Israeli strikes and artillery bombardments across the Gaza Strip.
According to the media office, the attacks also affected the vicinity of Gaza City and the southern cities of Khan Yunis and Rafah.
It said that among the targets were “dozens” of residences, two hospitals, and a girls’ school.
Under international humanitarian law, hospitals in Gaza have been frequently targeted by Israeli strikes since the start of the conflict.
The Israeli military accuses Hamas of having tunnels under hospitals and using them as command centres, as well as exploiting civilian infrastructure in general to shield its activities — a charge the Islamist group denies.
Around 1,140 Israelis lost their lives as a result of Hamas attacks on October 7, the majority of them were civilians, according to an AFP count based on government data. This marked the start of the Gaza War.
About 250 hostages were taken by the terrorists; 132 of them, according to Israel, are still in Gaza; at least 25 of them are thought to have died.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israel declared it would destroy Hamas in reprisal and began an indiscriminate military campaign that has killed at least 23,968 Palestinians, the most of them women and children.
