Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip overnight into Monday killed at least 27 Palestinians, according to local health officials. The Israeli military has not issued comments regarding the attacks.
An airstrike hit a home in Beit Lahiya, killing 10 people, including a Palestinian prisoner, Abdel-Fattah Abu Mahadi, who had been released as part of the ceasefire. His wife, two of their children and a grandchild were also killed, according to the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahiya, which received the bodies.
Another strike hit a home in Gaza City, killing seven people, including two women, according to the Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency service. Two other people were wounded.
Heba Abu Mahadi is the mother of a one-and-a-half-year-old who was killed in the attacks. “I got the news in the morning”, she said, holding the body of her son. “He was burned. The bones in his head are gone, a child like this.”
The bombardments and widespread hunger are taking a heavy toll on Gaza’s most vulnerable residents, including pregnant women and children.
Israel has carried out daily strikes on Gaza since it broke its ceasefire with Hamas on 18 March.
The country has also blocked fuel, food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies from entering Gaza since 2 March, in what it says is an attempt to pressure Hamas to release hostages. Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.
The United Nations’ International Court of Justice on Monday began holding hearings regarding Israel’s legal obligations to “ensure and facilitate” humanitarian aid into Palestinian territories.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the case was “part of a systematic persecution and delegitimisation of Israel.”
Israel has banned the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, to operate on its territory, claiming that it has been infiltrated by Hamas.
The Health Ministry says 2,151 people, including 732 children, have been killed since Israel shattered the truce on 18 March.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive until all the hostages are returned and Hamas is either destroyed or agrees to disarm and leave the territory.
Israeli jets also hit the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday, about an hour after issuing a warning, marking the third Israeli strike on the area since a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect in late November. The Israeli army said it “struck a terrorist infrastructure site containing precision Hezbollah missiles.” Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun condemned the attack. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
