PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES, Dec 21: At least 21 Palestinians were killed, and 61 others injured in Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, the enclave's Health Ministry reported on Saturday.
"Israeli forces killed 21 people and injured 61 others in three massacres of families in the last 24 hours," the ministry stated.
"Many people remain trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers struggle to reach them," it added.
The Health Ministry confirmed that 45,227 people have died as a result of Israeli strikes since October 7, 2023, with over 107,573 injured in ongoing Israeli war.
The onslaught has sparked increasing international condemnation, with officials and institutions denouncing the Israeli attacks and restricted aid access as attempts to eradicate a population.
On November 21, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant for crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its ongoing military campaign in the region.
Meanwhile, Gaza's civil defence rescue agency reported that an Israeli air strike killed 10 members of a family on Friday in the northern part of the territory, including seven children.
Violence in the Gaza Strip continues to rock the coastal territory more than 14 months into the Israel-Hamas war, even as international mediators work to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas Palestinian militants.
"There are 10 martyrs ... all targeted by an air strike on their home in Jabalia al-Nazla, southwest of Jabalia. All of the martyrs are from the same family, including seven children, the oldest aged six," civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP.
Bassal said the strike injured 15 other people.
The Israeli military told AFP it had struck "several terrorists who were operating in a military structure belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization and posed a threat to IDF troops operating in the area".
"According to an initial examination, the reported number of casualties resulting from the strike does not align with the information held by the IDF," it added.
"The IDF continues to precisely operate against terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip in accordance with international law, including taking measures to mitigate harm to uninvolved civilians."
Israel in early October began a major military operation in Gaza's north, which it said aimed to prevent Hamas from regrouping there.
Amid the ongoing violence, the United States, Egypt, and Qatar are engaged in renewed negotiations to halt the war and secure the release of dozens of hostages still held by militants in Gaza. —AGENCIES
