According to sources, the Israeli occupation army's attacks across the Gaza Strip since dawn have included tents for displaced persons, civilian homes, and gatherings of civilians and the starving near US aid distribution centers.
Palestinian media reported early Thursday that four Palestinians were killed and others injured when the Israeli occupation forces bombed the Abu Helou School, which houses displaced persons in the Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
In the northern governorate, four Palestinians were killed and 12 others were injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a house in the town of Jabalia. In Gaza City, two Palestinians were killed and several others were injured in an airstrike that targeted a house in the al-Sabra neighborhood (south), and two others, including a child, were killed in an airstrike that targeted a civilian gathering on Abu Hasira Street (west).
A Palestinian was also killed in an Israeli shelling of the Zarqa area in the Tuffah neighborhood, northeast of Gaza City, and a second Palestinian was killed in a shelling around the Ibn Sultan Mosque in the same neighborhood. Three Palestinians, including a girl, were killed in a shelling that targeted an apartment west of Gaza City, and a Palestinian was killed in a shelling that targeted the Old City in the Zeitoun neighborhood, east of the city.
In the Sabra neighborhood, five Palestinians, including an infant, were killed and others were injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting the al-Hattab family home south of the city. Meanwhile, a Palestinian was killed in an airstrike targeting the al-Karama area northwest of Gaza City.
An airstrike killed three Palestinians when it targeted an apartment and a café in the Nuseirat refugee camp. Two Palestinians were also killed in an Israeli attack on the vicinity of the Abu Odeh oil press, northeast of Nuseirat, and two others were killed in an attack targeting the Abu Suwairh family home west of the camp.
Four Palestinians, including two children, were killed and others were injured in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a tent housing displaced persons near the Zahrat al-Rabi' Hall in Camp 2 in Nuseirat. In al-Bureij camp, seven Palestinians were killed and others were injured in an airstrike targeting a civilian gathering in the Block 3 area, while a child was killed and seven others were injured in an airstrike targeting a civilian gathering in the Block 1 area.
In Deir al-Balah, seven Palestinians were killed in two Israeli airstrikes. The first targeted a gathering of citizens near the al-Mazra'a School on Abu Aref Street, killing four members of one family. The second targeted another gathering on al-Hakr Street, killing three others. Four Palestinians were also killed in an Israeli attack on the vicinity of a US aid distribution center near the Netzarim axis.
In the southern Gaza Strip, 21 Palestinians were killed, including 15 who suffocated from pepper gas and six who were shot with live ammunition, as they waited for aid at a distribution center run by US and Israeli entities south of Khan Yunis, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. Eight Palestinians, including three children, were also killed and others were injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting tents housing displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Yunis.
Two Palestinians from the al-Louh family were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a house in the al-Sabra neighborhood, south of Khan Yunis, while four others were killed in separate airstrikes on displaced people's tents in the city.
Earlier on Wednesday, medical sources and eyewitnesses reported that 68 Palestinians were killed and dozens injured as a result of Israeli attacks.
An agreement in days or an expansion of the fighting
In a related development, Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir threatened on Wednesday to expand the war and intensify attacks on the Gaza Strip unless an agreement is reached with Hamas within days.
"We are about to reach a critical juncture," Zamir said during a situation assessment he conducted in Gaza, accompanied by Southern Command Commander Major General Yaniv Asor. "Within days it will become clear whether an agreement will be reached to release the abductees," he said, referring to the Israeli prisoners in Gaza.
Zamir added, "If an agreement is reached, the forces will stop and redeploy along lines determined by the political leadership." He continued, "If we do not reach an agreement, my directive to the Southern Command will be to intensify and expand the fighting as much as possible." He went on to threaten, "In that case, we will enter additional areas and continue operations as we have been doing so far."
Since October 7, 2023, Israel, with American support, has been committing genocide in Gaza, including killing, starvation, destruction, and displacement, ignoring international appeals and orders from the International Court of Justice to halt it. The genocide has left more than 198,000 Palestinians dead or wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing. Hundreds of thousands have been displaced, and famine has claimed the lives of many, including children, as well as widespread destruction.
