The death toll from Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip rose to 38 on Wednesday, according to medical sources. The most devastating strike occurred in Beit Lahiya, where 22 people, including women and children, were killed after a house was hit. Relatives shared the names of the deceased on social media, and rescue teams continued to search for missing family members.
According to the Palestinian WAFA news agency, more than 30 residents lived in the multi-storey building before it was struck. The Israeli military claimed the target was Hamas fighters near Kamal Adwan Hospital, situated between Beit Lahiya and Jabalia. The military questioned the reported casualty figures, calling them “inaccurate.”
In nearby Beit Hanoun, medics reported casualties following another Israeli airstrike, though specific numbers were not provided. Rescue workers noted that several individuals were still trapped under debris.
Earlier that day, an airstrike on a house in Nuseirat camp, central Gaza, killed seven Palestinians, while three additional strikes in Gaza City resulted in nine more deaths. Among them was journalist Eman Al-Shanti, her husband, and three of their children. Al-Shanti’s death marked the 193rd journalist killed since the conflict began in October 2023, according to the Palestinian Union of Journalists.
Israel Reports Killing Two Hamas Commanders
The Israeli military announced it had killed two senior Hamas commanders involved in the October 7 attack on Israel. Fahmi Selmi, described as an elite unit commander, was killed in Gaza City’s Zeitoun suburb. Salah Dahman, reportedly the head of Hamas’ paragliding unit in Jabalia, was killed in a separate strike.
Despite ongoing bombardments, militants in Gaza launched two rockets into Israel, which landed in open areas. The Israeli military subsequently ordered evacuations from Al-Maghazi camp, though Palestinian and UN officials insist no areas in Gaza are safe.
The conflict, triggered by Hamas’ October 7 cross-border attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and resulted in over 250 hostages, has since caused over 44,800 Palestinian deaths, with most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents displaced, according to Gaza health authorities.
