13 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrike on house in Gaza City

Gaza, Oct 17
At least 13 Palestinians were killed, including children and women, and dozens of others wounded in an Israeli raid that targeted a house in Gaza City, the Civil Defence Authority in Gaza said.

"Israeli warplanes targeted a house belonging to the Al-Qarm family in the Al-Nasr neighbourhood in Gaza City," the Civil Defence said on Wednesday in a brief statement.

Meanwhile, Director-General of the health authorities in Gaza, Munir Al-Barsh, said that 350 dead and hundreds of injured people arrived at hospitals in the northern Gaza Strip during the 11 days of the ongoing Israeli operation, Xinhua news agency reported.

"There are bodies left in the streets and alleys and medical teams are unable to retrieve them," Al-Barsh told reporters in Gaza, noting that hospitals are suffering from a severe shortage of basic medicines, especially anesthesia.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Wednesday that in the area of Jabalia, the troops killed more than 50 militants in close-quarters encounters and aerial strikes till Tuesday.

The Israeli army has been launching a large-scale operation in Jabalia and the surrounding areas since October 6, imposing a siege on the residents there.

In addition, the Director of Al-Awda Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, Mohammed Salha, said that the Israeli army continues its siege of Jabalia camp and northern Gaza for the 11th day in a row, "targeting everything that moves."

Salha said in a press statement that hospitals in northern Gaza are dealing with complex injuries in light of the severe shortage of medicines, medical supplies, and fuel.

He pointed out that food is not available to patients and medical teams in hospitals, warning that if the siege on Jabalia camp continues, "we will be facing a real disaster."

He called on the World Health Organisation and United Nations agencies to expedite the entry of medicines, medical supplies and fuel to hospitals in northern Gaza and to make the necessary arrangements to bring in food for patients and medical staff.

Israel has been launching a large-scale offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage.

The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 42,409, the Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Wednesday.