Dozens Killed in Gaza as Civilian Death Toll Tops 57,000 Amid Ongoing Israeli Offensive

Dozens Killed in Gaza as Civilian Death Toll Tops 57,000 Amid Ongoing Israeli Offensive
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At least 52 people, including eight children, were killed on Thursday in Gaza as Israeli strikes and gunfire continued in the war-torn enclave, according to the territory’s civil defense agency. The latest casualties come as the conflict, now in its 22nd month, shows no sign of abating despite renewed indirect ceasefire talks between Hamas and Israel.

The deadly attacks occurred hours after Hamas announced its willingness to release 10 hostages as part of ongoing negotiations. Israeli forces have recently expanded operations across Gaza, worsening what humanitarian agencies describe as catastrophic conditions for the more than two million people trapped in the coastal strip.

In Deir Al-Balah, a strike outside a medical point killed 17 people, including children and women, according to local civil defense officials. The Israeli military said it targeted a Hamas militant involved in the group’s October 7, 2023, incursion into Israel but acknowledged civilian casualties and stated it was reviewing the incident. Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic and devastation.

One resident recounted how dozens of women and children were waiting for food supplements when a drone strike hit. Others spoke of families torn apart in an instant. Elsewhere in central Gaza, four people were killed when an airstrike struck a family home in Al-Bureij camp. AFP footage showed families sitting amid debris and tents near destroyed buildings.

Additional strikes killed at least 27 more people across Gaza, including 15 in the Gaza City area alone, according to local officials. In Khan Yunis, one person was shot dead by Israeli forces, while three more, including a woman, were killed near an aid distribution center in Rafah.

Since May, over 600 people have died near aid convoys and distribution points, according to UN reports, as residents risk their lives to access scarce food and supplies. Israel’s military has killed at least 57,680 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, with vast destruction to hospitals, homes, and civilian infrastructure across the territory.