DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza — On Saturday, two distinct Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least 13 individuals, among whom were women and children, as reported by Palestinian medical authorities. This incident occurred concurrently with Israel’s announcement regarding the first aid deliveries in several weeks to the devastated northern regions of Gaza.
One of the attacks targeted a facility in the eastern Tufah neighborhood of Gaza City, repurposed as a shelter for displaced residents. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, this strike claimed the lives of at least six people, which included two local journalists, a pregnant woman, and a child. The Israeli military claimed the strike aimed at a member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant organization but did not provide any supporting evidence or additional details concerning the operation.
In a separate incident in the southern city of Khan Younis, another Israeli airstrike struck a tent where displaced individuals were seeking refuge, resulting in the deaths of seven people, as stated by Nasser Hospital. Those who perished included two women and a child; the Israeli army did not provide immediate commentary on this incident.
Meanwhile, COGAT, the Israeli military entity responsible for overseeing humanitarian assistance in Gaza, announced on Saturday that 11 trucks filled with food, water, and medical supplies managed to reach northern Gaza, including the urban refugee camp located in Jabaliya. This marks the first shipment of aid to that area following the onset of intensified Israeli military actions that began last month.
The timing of this aid delivery comes just days before a U.S. deadline that demands improvements in aid distribution across Gaza. Experts have warned of the potential for a looming famine affecting certain areas in northern Gaza.
Israel’s ongoing military campaign has particularly targeted Jabaliya, a densely populated refugee settlement, which the Israeli government claims is a stronghold for Hamas. Other regions being impacted include Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, located just north of Gaza City.
According to United Nations estimates, tens of thousands of residents remain in these conflict zones, and the Gaza Health Ministry recently reported that no ambulances or emergency response teams are currently operating north of Gaza City.
Since the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli military has conducted strikes on various schools and makeshift camps that are packed with displaced Palestinians fleeing from ongoing offensives and evacuation mandates. U.N. figures suggest that approximately 90% of Gaza’s population is now displaced due to the conflict.
The Israeli military has consistently asserted that Hamas militants conduct operations from civilian infrastructures such as schools, United Nations facilities, and hospitals. This ongoing conflict also centers on the contrasting narratives regarding the military use of such facilities, intensifying the complexities surrounding the situation.
In a prior incident in July, an Israeli airstrike targeted a girls’ school in the central area of Deir al-Balah, killing at least 30 individuals who were taking shelter there. Israel’s military stated that this assault was aimed at a Hamas command center reportedly used for coordinating attacks against Israeli forces and storing significant quantities of weaponry.
The prolonged conflict between Israel and Hamas has reportedly claimed the lives of over 43,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials. While these figures do not differentiate between combatants and civilians, they indicate that more than half of those casualties were women and children. The escalation began following a militant incursion into Israel on October 7, 2023, leading to approximately 1,200 deaths, primarily among civilians, along with the abduction of around 250 individuals.