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Airstrikes and a drone attack killed at least 18 people across the Palestinian territory on Saturday, including civilians waiting for humanitarian aid, according to Gaza’s civil defence agency.
Spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that Israeli troops targeted civilians gathering near an aid distribution point in central Gaza, killing at least six people and injuring 30.
He also reported that a drone strike near the southern city of Khan Yunis killed at least three and wounded several others. Due to media restrictions and safety concerns, AFP could not independently verify these reports.
The attacks come as food and essential supplies remain scarce in Gaza due to Israeli restrictions. Daily gatherings at aid points have been met with almost-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on civilians since late May.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing international pressure for a ceasefire, but his security cabinet has approved plans for a major operation to seize Gaza City.
Netanyahu defended the decision on social media, stating, “We are not going to occupy Gaza—we are going to free Gaza from Hamas.”
Hamas has condemned the plan as a “new war crime.”
The Israeli offensive, which began after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack, has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
