Daijiworld Media Network - Gaza
Gaza, Apr 13: At least 10 Palestinians lost their lives on Sunday in a series of Israeli airstrikes targeting the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah, according to Gaza’s Civil Defence authorities.
Spokesperson Mahmoud Basal confirmed that seven victims, including six members of the same family, were killed when an Israeli missile struck a civilian vehicle. Several others sustained injuries and were rushed to Al-Aqsa Hospital in the area.
Eyewitnesses told Xinhua news agency that the vehicle was engulfed in flames after being hit by a missile launched from an Israeli aircraft.
In a separate airstrike, three more Palestinians were killed when Israeli forces bombed the municipality building in Deir al-Balah. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later acknowledged the strike, stating it was aimed at a Hamas command and control centre allegedly operating from the building.
IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee claimed the targeted site was hosting a large number of Hamas operatives involved in previous attacks on both Israeli soldiers and civilians.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that since Israel resumed its military offensive on March 18, at least 1,574 Palestinians have been killed, with 4,115 others injured. Since the war began on October 7, 2023, the total Palestinian death toll has reached 50,944, with 116,156 wounded.
The conflict continues to devastate Gaza’s fragile healthcare system. The Hamas-run Health Ministry condemned the latest strikes, stating they forced the evacuation of patients and medical staff from overwhelmed hospitals — many of which have already been damaged or destroyed in earlier attacks.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), only a handful of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain partially functional. The UN has warned that the continued blockade on humanitarian aid is crippling the delivery of essential medical supplies, worsening the health crisis.
On Saturday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz declared that the IDF had completed its takeover of the Morag axis, a corridor between Rafah and Khan Yunis, which Israel views as a strategic security buffer zone.
As violence persists, international aid groups continue to raise alarms about the deepening humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.