Death toll swells as 44 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza

Death toll continues to swell as at least 44 Palestinians were killed on Friday, with dozens more injured in a series of Israeli airstrikes and raids across Gaza, according to local health officials.

Civil Defense spokesperson Mahmoud Basal reported that two Palestinians were killed in northern Gaza following strikes on a home and a car.

Gaza City suffered the highest number of casualties, with 18 Palestinians, including three children and two women, losing their lives in six separate airstrikes targeting homes and gatherings.

In the central region of Gaza, 10 people were killed in strikes on a home and a shelter for displaced residents. Rafah, in southern Gaza, saw 14 fatalities, including children and women, in an airstrike on a home, while another strike on a motorcycle claimed one life.

The Israeli military campaign in Gaza has continued since a cross-border attack by Hamas on October 7 last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire.

Local health authorities report that more than 41,300 people, mostly women and children, have been killed, and over 95,500 have been injured. Israel’s actions in Gaza have led to accusations of genocide, currently under review at the International Court of Justice.