By Ezekiel David
At least 18 Palestinians were killed on Saturday by Israeli bombing in the Gaza town of Zawayda, including four women and eight children. A residential building was the target of the strike, which has worsened the humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave.
Health officials in Gaza confirmed the deaths, noting that most of the victims belonged to the same family. “They were asleep in their beds, kids and babies, then three missiles targeted their place,” a neighbour, Abu Ahmed Hassan, recounted. Hassan described the building’s owner as a known merchant, stating, “There are no military activities here at all.”
The Israeli military stated that the strike targeted militant infrastructure used to launch rockets at Israeli troops. Acknowledging the civilian casualties, the military said the incident is under review.
At the same time as the attack, residents of the Maghazi district in Zawayda and other parts of central Gaza were ordered to evacuate by the Israelis. The Israeli military advised locals to relocate to approved safe zones in response to reports of Hamas rocket fire from these regions.
Militants are firing rockets from those locations, and the military is preparing to act against them, Israel’s military spokesperson posted on X.
While the precise scope of the evacuation orders remains unclear, residents report thousands fleeing the Maghazi district. This follows similar orders issued on Friday, impacting an estimated 170,000 displaced people, according to the United Nations.
The safe areas for Gaza’s displaced people have been significantly reduced by these evacuations. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the “humanitarian area” now accounts for only 11% of the whole Gaza Strip.
Residents of eastern Deir Al-Balah, a safe area that was sheltering hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians, reported seeing Israeli tanks advance farther into the area, which added to the chaos.
The Israeli military claims its operations since Friday have killed dozens of militants involved in firing rockets from central and southern Gaza.
The ongoing conflict, which erupted on October 7, has devastated Gaza, displacing over 2.3 million residents. Despite ceasefire talks in Doha, a lasting resolution remains elusive. Negotiators are scheduled to reconvene next week to pursue a ceasefire, hostage release, and a path towards peace.
(Source: Reuters)