Israel attacks killed Palestinians

Israeli attacks killed Palestinians

Tel Aviv — At least 89 Palestinians have been killed in various Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, medical sources said on Wednesday.

The Palestinian news agency WAFA also reported dozens of deaths in the embattled area since the early morning hours. About half of the victims were reportedly registered in the city of Gaza.

Seven people were killed north-west of Gaza City at a humanitarian aid distribution site. They were deployed there to help secure the distribution, the sources said.

Another seven people, including five children, died when an airstrike hit their tent in Gaza City.

Another person was reportedly killed in a drone attack in the northern Gaza Strip.

The strikes come as Israeli forces prepare to launch an operation to take over Gaza City. The plan has triggered an international outcry, with leaders warning of devastating humanitarian consequences for the war-shattered territory.

A separate drone strike in the north of the strip killed one person, according to medics.

In a further incident, five people were killed by Israeli fire while waiting for aid south of Wadi Gaza in the central part of the territory, WAFA reported.

A spokesman for the Israeli army told dpa that the military was not aware of any casualties caused by army fire in the area of the Netzarim corridor.

No further details on the other attacks were initially available.

Multiple Israeli airstrikes were reported over the course of Wednesday morning, particularly in Gaza City, with several buildings hit.

Residents expressed concern the strikes could be preparations the promised ground offensive.

Deadly incidents have repeatedly been reported near aid distribution points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a private organization supported by Israel and the United States. The GHF began operations in the blockaded coastal strip in May after a nearly three-month Israeli halt to aid deliveries.

The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas and other Palestinian Islamist militant groups carried out a large-scale attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages to Gaza.

Since then, more than 61,700 Palestinians have been killed in the territory, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. The figures, which cannot be independently verified, do not distinguish between civilians and fighters. However, international organizations such as the United Nations consider the figures to be largely credible.

The ministry says over 1,850 people have been killed while trying to collect aid during the war. In many cases, civilians must cross active combat zones to reach distribution points.

Israeli military chief green-lights war plans

Israeli Chief of General Staff Eyal Zamir has approved operational plans aimed at expanding the campaign in the Gaza Strip, the military said on Wednesday, following Israel’s announcement that it plans to capture Gaza City.

During a meeting attended by military officials and the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service, Zamir “approved the main framework for the IDF’s operational plan in the Gaza Strip,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement.

“The Chief of the General Staff emphasized the importance of increasing troop readiness and preparedness for reserve recruitment, while providing time to regroup and recover ahead of the upcoming missions,” it said.

The Israeli Security Cabinet under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided on Friday that the military should take over Gaza City – possibly with the aim of taking control of the entire Gaza Strip in order to eliminate Hamas.

The time frame for such an operation remains unclear, with local media reporting the military may need two months to prepare.