At least 20 Palestinians, including several children and a paramedic, have been killed and almost 40 others wounded in Israeli strikes in Gaza, hospitals say.
The Israeli military stated that tanks and aircraft carried out precise strikes against what they termed terrorists who opened fire on troops in the north of the strip, severely injuring an officer.
This attack reportedly occurred near the Yellow Line, beyond which Israeli forces are positioned in Gaza, constituting a blatant violation of the three-month-old ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
Hamas claims Israel used the shooting as a tenuous justification for an ongoing pattern of violence against the Palestinian population.
Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City reported 13 fatalities, including five children, resulting from strikes that hit tents for displaced families and homes in the eastern Zeitoun and Tuffah neighborhoods.
Among those mourning at the hospital's courtyard was Abu Mohammed Haboush, who lamented the loss of his family members killed in their sleep during the shelling, asserting, We are peaceful people.\
Nasser hospital in Khan Younis also reported fatalities, including one child, following strikes on tents situated in the southern Qizan Rashwan area.
Among the victims was paramedic Hussein al-Samiri, who was reportedly killed while attempting to assist victims of an earlier strike and was hit by a subsequent attack.
The Palestinian Red Crescent condemned the act, highlighting it as a grave violation of international humanitarian law, which safeguards medical staff.
The International Committee of the Red Cross expressed outrage at the killing of first responders in conflict zones like Gaza.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the strikes were aimed at a platoon commander of Hamas, Bilal Abu Assi, allegedly involved in prior attacks against Israel. The IDF claimed measures were taken to minimize civilian casualties but acknowledged the deaths of bystanders, including medical personnel.
Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of repeated violations.
In a recent escalation, over 30 individuals were reportedly killed in strikes across Gaza, attributed to combatants emerging from a tunnel near Rafah.
Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry states that at least 556 Palestinian lives have been lost due to Israeli fire, while the Israeli military has reported four soldiers killed in Palestinian assaults.
This ongoing conflict was ignited by a Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, taking the lives of around 1,200 people and resulting in hostage situations during a violent backlash by Israel which has led to over 71,820 deaths in Gaza according to health ministry reports.
