At least 19 people were killed in two Israeli airstrikes in northern Gaza early Monday, according to Gaza`s civil defence agency.
Spokesperson Mahmud Bassal stated that one of the strikes targeted three apartments northwest of Gaza City, resulting in the deaths of 15 people—mostly women and children—and injuring 10 others. A separate airstrike in Beit Lahiya claimed four more lives and left four others wounded.
The Israeli military has not yet responded to these reports.
Since resuming its offensive on March 18, Israel has stepped up both its air raids and ground operations in the besieged Gaza Strip. It had earlier imposed a complete blockade on aid entry into the region—home to around 2.4 million people—on March 2.
Israel maintains that the ongoing military pressure is aimed at forcing Hamas to release hostages still held in Gaza. As of now, 58 hostages from Hamas`s October 2023 incursion into Israel remain in captivity, with Israeli sources confirming that 34 of them are presumed dead. Hamas is also believed to be holding the remains of a soldier killed during the 2014 conflict.
The retaliatory Israeli offensive has resulted in at least 52,535 deaths in Gaza, with most of the victims being civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-governed territory.
