Israel airstrikes Gaza, at least 57 people killed

Israeli bombings focused on southern and central Gaza areas.

According to the Hamas militant organization, Israel is stepping up attacks to sabotage efforts by Arab and US negotiators to reach a ceasefire. Israel says its goal is to eradicate Hamas militants.

In Rafah, a city on the Egyptian border, Israeli forces have been operating since May. An airstrike on a civilian home killed five people. In Khan Younis, a man, his wife and two young children were also killed in the attacks.

Late on July 16, an Israeli airstrike hit a car in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, killing at least 17 people and wounding 26. The attack occurred near a makeshift tent for displaced people on Attar Street, a designated Al-Mawasi humanitarian area in Khan Younis.

The Israeli military said the attack targeted a senior member of the Hamas-allied Islamic Jihad. "We are investigating reports of civilian casualties in this attack," the Israeli military said in a statement.

Attack on UN school

At Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, medical staff said at least four Palestinians were killed in airstrikes and shelling. An Israeli airstrike in Sheikh Zayed, northern Gaza, also killed four people.

Another Israeli airstrike on a UN school in the Nuseirat camp, which was being used as a shelter for displaced families, killed 23 people and injured many more. Among those killed was local journalist Mohammad Meshmesh. The incident brought the total number of journalists killed in the Gaza conflict to 160.

Umm Omar Ahmed, a witness at Nuseirat camp, wondered: "Where is the safety of the UN schools? No school, clinic, house or street is safe anymore. We were isolated and forced to evacuate, but now we are being eliminated."

The Israeli military said it had struck a "terrorist" cell operating inside a school after taking steps to minimise the risk to civilians.

Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas after the group attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. As of July 16, the Israeli military said it had eliminated half of Hamas’s leadership, with some 14,000 militants killed or captured since the start of the conflict.

At least 38,713 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign. Israel also says 326 of its soldiers have been killed in Gaza.

Many people went to Al Aqsa hospital in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza, to say goodbye to their loved ones before they were buried. Sahar Abu Emeira, an elderly Palestinian, said: "We are so tired... we have no patience anymore. Whether it is Hamas or Israel, they need to sign a ceasefire as soon as possible."

Negotiations are suspended.

Efforts to end the conflict stalled on July 13 after three days of negotiations failed to produce positive results and Israel launched an airstrike targeting senior Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, killing more than 90 people in Khan Younis, Egyptian security sources said.

A Palestinian official closely involved in the negotiations said Hamas did not want to be seen as stalling the talks despite Israel's intensified offensive. "Hamas wants the war to end, but not at any cost. It has shown enough flexibility and is urging negotiators to demand that Israel reciprocate," the official added.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said two senior advisers to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel remains committed to reaching a ceasefire agreement.

According to a report from the UN Environment Programme, clearing the rubble across Gaza will take 15 years and require more than 100 trucks and cost more than $500 million. The UN said it would begin sending more armored vehicles and personal protective equipment to humanitarian agencies in Gaza after receiving approval from Israel.

The UN has long complained about barriers preventing it from getting aid into Gaza and says it is struggling to deliver aid in the "completely lawless" environment of the 2.3 million people where the risk of famine is high.

Nguyen Quang Minh (According to Reuters)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/israel-khong-kich-gaza-it-nhat-57-nguoi-thiet-mang-204240717113609328.htm