At least 17 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on 3 houses in Gaza

ISTANBUL (AA) – At least 17 Palestinians have been killed in attacks by the Israeli army on three houses in central and northern Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian official news agency, WAFA, said warplanes targeted two houses in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, which killed at least 15 Palestinians and left numerous injured.

The wounded were taken to the al-Aqsa Hospital with civil defense personnel continuing search and rescue operations in the rubble, it said.

It was reported that the Israeli army also bombed a house in the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza where 70 Palestinians had sought shelter. That strike killed at least two victims, according to initial assessments.

Teams were said to be continuing their work at the house.

Israel launched a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip after an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas which Tel Aviv says killed 1,160 Israelis. Israel has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians and injured 70,457.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Israel continues to ignore the orders.