73 Palestinians killed in Israeli bombing in Gaza

At least 73 Palestinians were killed on Saturday by Israeli bombing in the town of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, reported Xinhua, quoting the Hamas-run Gaza government media office.

The Israeli army bombed some residential areas in Beit Lahia, also leaving dozens of others wounded or missing, most of whom are children and women, the media office said in a statement.

Hamas held Israel, the U.S. administration, and some European countries fully responsible for the continuation of the crime, it added.

There was no immediate Israeli comment on the attack.

Also on Saturday, Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said on social media platform X that another 20,000 people were forced to flee the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza on Friday as the war across the Strip continues unabated.

Widespread communication and internet disruptions had been reported across Gaza City and the north, Lazzarini said, adding that a critical shortage of fuel and medical supplies had been reported in the last remaining hospitals.

In a statement on Saturday, Israeli army spokesman Avichay Adraee confirmed the evacuation of hundreds of civilians from Jabalia.

On Friday evening, as part of a joint operation by the army and the General Security Service (Shin Bet), hundreds of civilians began to evacuate the Jabalia area following the work of the 162nd Division, he said.

During its operations in Jabalia over the past 24 hours, the 162nd Division eliminated dozens of militants and discovered various weapons, he added.

Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 42,519, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Saturday.