More people killed in Northern Gaza as Israel strikes Beit Lahiya
RAFAH, GAZA - FEBRUARY 21: (EDITOR'S NOTE: Image depicts death.) People mourn as they receive the dead bodies of victims of an Israeli strike on February 21, 2024 in Rafah, Gaza. Strikes intensified as Israel reiterated its intent to press on with a ground offensive in Gaza's southern city of Rafah where some 1.4 million internally displaced Palestinians are sheltering, whilst a growing number of countries express alarm over the operation. (Photo by Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images)
At least 73 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed and dozens wounded in Israeli strikes on Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza.
The strikes hit multiple houses and a multi-floor building, with dozens reported missing. Rescue efforts were hindered by disrupted telecommunication and internet services.
The Gaza health ministry reported 35 Palestinian deaths earlier in the day, bringing the total to 108. Hamas described the incident as “a war of genocide and ethnic cleansing” and “a horrifying massacre.”
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Palestinian health officials said rescue operations were being hampered by the cut-off of telecommunication and internet services for the second day.
“This is a war of genocide and ethnic cleansing. The occupation has conducted a horrifying massacre in Beit Lahiya,” the Hamas media office said.
Israeli forces tightened their siege on Jabalia, encircling the camp with tanks and issuing evacuation orders. Residents reported Israeli forces besieging shelters, detaining men, and bombing houses. Hospitals face severe shortages, with medical staff refusing orders to evacuate.
At least 42,519 people have been killed and 99,637 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 7, 2023. At least 1,139 people were killed in Hamas’s attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and more than 200 were taken captive.
