29 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza: civil defense

GAZA: At least 29 Palestinians were killed on Thursday in multiple Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, according to Gaza’s civil defense.

“Among the victims were 10 police officers who died in an airstrike targeting a police station in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern part of the Gaza Strip,” Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson of the civil defense, told Xinhua.

He said that the attack also caused injuries among Palestinians and damage to houses.

“The casualties were transferred to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City,” he added, noting that the civil defense teams face severe challenges in removing the victims due to the lack of equipment.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army said in a press statement that it targeted a facility that served as a command-and-control center for Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said the compound “was used to coordinate attacks against Israeli civilians and military personnel,” adding that “steps were taken to reduce civilian casualties, including the use of precision-guided munitions and aerial surveillance.”

Neither Hamas nor the PIJ commented on the attack yet.

Other Israeli strikes were reported in the southern city of Khan Younis, around Gaza City, and in the Deir al-Balah area of the central Gaza Strip.

At least 1,978 Palestinians have been killed and 5,207 others injured since Israel renewed its intensive strikes on March 18 across the Gaza Strip, while the total Palestinian death toll since October 2023 has risen to 51,355, Gaza-based health authorities said on Thursday.

-Xinhua