Israeli strikes kill 18 Palestinians, wounded scores of others despite calls for truce
Relatives of Palestinians who lost their lives as a result of Israeli air strike mourn as they take the dead bodies from the morgue of El-Najar Hospital to be buried in Rafah, Gaza on April 21, 2024. (Abed Rahim Khatib / Anadolu via Getty Images)
Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 18 Palestinians in Gaza, with medics reporting significant casualties in multiple targeted areas.
Among the dead were 10 people struck near a municipality building in Deir Al-Balah while awaiting aid. Medics described chaotic scenes as victims were transported to hospitals using makeshift means.
The Israeli military stated it targeted gunmen and weapons caches, including locations near aid warehouses, where militants allegedly fired rockets into Israel.
One airstrike in Gaza City on a former shelter reportedly housing Hamas fighters killed seven, including a woman and her baby. A separate strike claimed the life of a local journalist.
Since the war began on October 7, 2023, over 44,930 Palestinians have died, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, with 55 fatalities recorded in the past 24 hours.
The conflict erupted after Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 250 hostages.
Israel’s retaliatory air, land, and sea offensive has resulted in immense destruction, leaving much of Gaza in ruins and displacing nearly its entire population.
Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire have gathered momentum. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi met with U.S. officials to discuss a potential truce and a hostages-for-prisoners exchange, with Qatar also involved in mediation. Despite intensified efforts, a resolution remains as Israeli forces continue their relentless attacks, mostly on civilian populations.
