Israeli Airstrikes Result in 20 Deaths in Gaza, Including a Journalist and Rescue Official
Israeli military strikes have claimed the lives of at least 20 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local health authorities. This toll includes a local journalist and a senior official from the rescue service.
The recent fatalities occurred due to separate Israeli airstrikes in Khan Younis in the south, Jabalia in the north, and Nuseirat in central Gaza, as reported by medics.
In Jabalia, local journalist Hassan Majdi Abu Warda and several members of his family were killed when an airstrike targeted their home.
Another airstrike in Nuseirat resulted in the deaths of Ashraf Abu Nar, a senior figure in the territory’s civil emergency service, along with his wife, medics noted.
A Palestinian man and child stand outside a house that was hit in an Israeli strike on the Nuseirat camp.
The media office of the Hamas-run Gaza government stated that Abu Warda’s death brings the total number of Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023, to 220.
The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad released separate statements claiming that their fighters conducted multiple ambushes and attacks using bombs and anti-tank rockets against Israeli forces across various regions in Gaza.
On Friday, the Israeli military announced that it had carried out further strikes overnight, targeting 75 locations including weapons storage facilities and rocket launchers.
A child is seen crying as Palestinians gather at a food distribution point in the Nuseirat camp.
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 3,747 individuals have lost their lives in the territory since a ceasefire ended on March 18, raising the overall death toll from the war to 53,901, predominantly civilians.
Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023, which initiated the conflict, led to the deaths of 1,218 individuals, mostly civilians, based on an AFP tally from official data.
Militants also took 251 hostages, of which 57 are still believed to be in Gaza, while the Israeli military reports that 34 of them are deceased.
Malaysia condemns ‘double standards’ on Gaza atrocities.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s foreign minister has denounced the “atrocities” occurring in Gaza, stating they illustrate “indifference and double standards” regarding the situation of the Palestinian people.
“These actions are a direct consequence of the degradation of international law’s sanctity,” Mohamad Hasan remarked to his counterparts from the ASEAN regional bloc.
Mr. Mohamad’s remarks come ahead of an ASEAN summit scheduled for Monday in Kuala Lumpur, coinciding with Israel’s intensified operations in the war-torn territory of Gaza.
The bombardment has faced international criticism, alongside calls for increased aid following Israel’s partial easing of a complete blockade imposed on March 2.
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“The atrocities against the Palestinian people continue to underscore indifference and double standards,” he said.
“ASEAN cannot remain silent,” asserted Mohamad, whose country presides over the rotating chairmanship of the bloc. In February, foreign ministers from the 10-member organization reiterated their “longstanding support” for Palestinian rights.
Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation, does not maintain diplomatic relations with Israel, with many citizens showing support for the Palestinian cause.
Kuala Lumpur has funneled donations and humanitarian aid totaling over $10 million to Palestinians in Gaza since the outbreak of the conflict in October 2023.
