Israeli airstrike kills 15 Palestinians in Gaza

At least 15 Palestinians were killed Thursday afternoon in an Israeli airstrike on the northern Gaza Strip, reported Xinhua, quoting Palestinian sources.

Israeli warplanes targeted a residential house in the town of Beit Lahia, according to local sources and eyewitnesses. Mahmoud Basal, spokesman for Civil Defense in Gaza, told Xinhua that the raid killed 15 people, including children and women.

The Israeli army has not commented on this incident.

Also on Thursday, the General Directorate of Civil Defense in Gaza warned of a possible suspension of services and humanitarian interventions it provides to displaced citizens residing in what was designated by the Israeli army as a "humanitarian area" in southern Gaza.

Muhammad Al-Mughair, director of supply for Civil Defense in Gaza, said in a press statement that the Civil Defense is suffering from a crisis due to fuel shortage in the "humanitarian area," warning that the continued prevention of fuel supply threatens the lives of thousands of displaced people.

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

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 44,580, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Thursday.