Israeli strikes devastate northern Gaza, targeting homes and hospitals, as medics warn of worsening humanitarian conditions amid ongoing conflict.

[dropcap]H[/dropcap]ealth officials reported devastating strikes by the Israeli military on at least five densely populated homes in northern Gaza on Thursday, with significant casualties and ongoing rescue operations.

Medics on the ground said many victims remain trapped beneath the rubble as efforts to locate survivors continue.

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Hamas media outlets estimated the death toll at 57, though official confirmation from the Gaza health ministry has yet to be released.

The Israeli military has not commented on the strikes but has frequently accused Hamas of inflating casualty figures.

The reported incidents follow a series of deadly airstrikes across Gaza on Wednesday, which health officials said resulted in at least 48 fatalities.

Among the targeted sites were homes, a school sheltering displaced civilians in central Gaza, a hospital in the north, and designated humanitarian zones in Al-Mawasi and Rafah in the south.

“No place in Gaza is safe,” Palestinian and UN officials reiterated, as the bombardment continues to devastate residential and institutional areas.

The Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya, one of the few operational medical facilities in the northern region, was reportedly bombed while medics were treating patients.

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the hospital’s director, revealed that their staff and resources are critically constrained.

“Forty-five medical and surgical staff members were arrested, and no replacements have been allowed entry. We are losing patients daily who could have survived if resources were available,” he said.

The hospital currently houses 85 injured people, including six in the ICU, alongside cases of malnutrition and dehydration due to severe food and water shortages.

Israeli military operations have concentrated on Gaza’s northern edge for weeks, targeting the towns of Jabalia, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun.

Local residents accuse Israel of systematically destroying homes to create a depopulated buffer zone—an accusation Israel denies.

Since the conflict’s escalation, Gaza officials estimate that nearly 44,000 people have been killed, with the enclave’s entire population displaced at least once.

Source: Read more at theheute.com.ng