Israeli forces killed at least 21 Palestinians across Gaza since dawn, according to Gaza hospital sources reported by Al Jazeera. Among the victims, five were killed in a drone strike targeting tents of displaced people in the al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis, a designated “safe zone” frequently hit by Israeli attacks.
Several others, including children, were injured. On Thursday, 61 people, including 19 aid seekers, were killed in intensified Israeli bombardments in eastern and southern Gaza City neighborhoods, medical sources told Al Jazeera. Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for annexing parts of Gaza if Hamas does not disarm, escalating beyond Israel’s planned Gaza City offensive, which the UN has condemned.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the famine in Gaza as a “present-day catastrophe” caused by “deliberate decisions that defy basic humanity.” Cindy McCain, head of the UN’s World Food Programme, noted after her visit to Gaza that food shortages remain critical. Additionally, the Israeli military conducted an aerial assault in Yemen’s Sanaa, targeting a Houthi “military target.”
Israel, Gaza, al-Mawasi, safe zone, drone strike, famine, UN, Gaza City, Bezalel Smotrich, annexation, Houthi, Yemen, Antonio Guterres, World Food Programme
