The death toll from Israel’s ongoing bombardment of Gaza has risen to at least 71 since dawn, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed to over 1,100 since the end of the truce last month. In a separate incident on Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike targeted a UN-run health clinic in northern Gaza, killing at least 22 Palestinian civilians, including women and children.
The Gaza government’s media office condemned the attack as “a full-fledged war crime,” with medical sources confirming that nine children were among the victims. Dozens of others were injured in the strike, which caused a large fire that burned the bodies of several victims. The clinic, located in Jabalia town, had been sheltering hundreds of displaced civilians.
The Israeli army acknowledged the attack, claiming that Hamas members were allegedly operating within the clinic, although no evidence was provided. The military stated that Hamas’ Jabalia Battalion had used the building to launch attacks on Israeli targets.
Hamas dismissed the Israeli claims as a “blatant fabrication aimed at justifying the crime,” and insisted that all those inside the clinic were civilians. In response, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, urging the international community to put pressure on Israel to stop its actions and seek a political solution based on international law.
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This clinic had previously been attacked by Israeli forces during the ongoing war on Gaza that began in October 2023. Since Wednesday morning, the Israeli military has escalated its airstrikes across Gaza, killing at least 21 people in separate attacks.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to intensify attacks on Gaza, as Israel continues its military campaign that began on March 18, resulting in over 1,000 deaths and more than 2,500 injuries. The violence has shattered a January ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas.
More than 50,400 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s military onslaught began in October 2023, the majority of them women and children. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2023 for war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza conflict. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.
