- Foreign Debt Repayment Hits $4 Billion in Record High |
- Bangladesh Orders 25 Boeing Jets Ahead of Key US Trade Talks |
- Bus ploughs into football match in Cumilla; 1 killed, 5 hurt |
- CA Prof Yunus holding talks with 12 more political parties |
Israeli Strikes Kill 40 in Gaza, Says Civil Defence
At least 40 Palestinians were killed on Saturday across the Gaza Strip in Israeli strikes and gunfire, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency, amid ongoing hostilities that have gripped the territory for over 21 months.
Civil defence spokesperson Mahmud Bassal said nine people died in three separate air strikes in Gaza City, while 13 others were killed in five air strikes near Khan Yunis in the south, including eight at a displaced persons’ encampment in Al-Mawasi.
Two people were killed in a drone strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Additionally, 14 people reportedly died from Israeli gunfire while waiting for humanitarian aid in separate incidents across northern, central, and southern Gaza.
One fatality occurred northwest of Gaza City, where thousands had gathered near the Zikim area to receive aid. A witness, Abu Samir Hamoudeh, said Israeli troops opened fire as people approached the distribution point.
The Israeli military said its soldiers fired warning shots after identifying an "immediate threat" and claimed no awareness of casualties from the shooting.
The civil defence also reported another death by drone strike near Khan Yunis and one from artillery fire in Al-Bureij camp.
Israel’s military confirmed it had targeted more than 100 sites in Gaza over the past 24 hours, including a “terrorist cell” allegedly planting explosives. It said operations in the territory were ongoing.
Meanwhile, civil defence teams, in coordination with the UN’s humanitarian office, recovered 12 bodies following Israeli strikes north of Rafah. The bodies were transferred to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis.
Due to media restrictions and limited access, the death tolls and incident details cannot be independently verified.
The war erupted following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, which killed 1,219 people in Israel, mostly civilians. Since then, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has left 59,733 Palestinians dead, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.