Gaza civil defence says Israeli strike kills 17

Israeli strike kills many at Gaza refugee camp, as military targets Hamas; residents flee amid relentless shelling.

Gaza's civil defence agency on Tuesday (October 8, 2024) said an Israeli strike killed at least 17 people at a refugee camp in the centre of the territory, as Israel's military targets Hamas positions.

"The civil defence teams recovered 17 martyrs, including children, and several others who were wounded from the three-story home of the Abdul Hadi family, which was bombed by a missile from an (Israeli) warplane in Al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza," agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said in a statement.

Mr. Bassal said the bodies of those killed and the wounded were taken to Al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat camp and to Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in the city of Deir el-Balah.

Medics at Al-Awda confirmed the toll.

Mr. Bassal earlier said that several air strikes rocked central and northern Gaza since the early hours of Tuesday (October 8, 2024).

Witnesses and rescuers also said Israeli military operations continued in Jabaliya, where troops launched a ground assault in recent days.

Over the past day, Israeli forces killed "approximately 20 terrorists" in air strikes in Jabaliya, the military said in a statement, adding troops also dismantled a weapons storage facility in the area.