Victor EzejaNot less than 70 people have been killed within the last 24 hours in Gaza as the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants rages, says Gaza’s Health Ministry.
An Israeli airstrike on a sports center in Gaza City resulted in at least 15 fatalities, according to an Aljazeera report, while the attack of the Saad bin Abi Waqqas Mosque in the Jabalia refugee camp resulted in casualties.
Until the attack, the sport centre had been serving as an evacuation centre for many Palestinian families.
Reports say there is heavy artillery and air attacks on Shujayea neighbourhood in Gaza.
Intense ground fighting continues to rage across Gaza, including in Khan Younis and other areas in the south of the area with 22 killed already through an Israeli airstrike.
Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ruled that Israel must adopt measures to ensure “the unhindered provision” of basic services and humanitarian assistance, including food, water, fuel and medical supplies. The legally-binding ruling was delivered on Thursday on a charge by South Africa that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
Israel had been accused of blocking humanitarian aids into Gaza. Responding, Israel accused Hamas of stealing aids from UN officials. But UN has not reported aid being taken by Hamas but has repeatedly said Israel is hampering aid while using “starvation as a weapon of war” against Palestinians.
UN Ceasefire Resolution
Earlier in the week, the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and the release of all captives seized by Hamas during its attack on Israel on October 7. However, Israel has continued to flout the UNSC resolution.
Also, another attack by Israel on Rafah, another city in Gaza, has left not fewer than 14 persons dead, a Rafah hospital official told CNN.
The health officials said at least 80 Palestinians were sheltering in the residential building when it was attacked.
Airstrike on Syria
Meanwhile, Israel has also launched an airstrike on areas close to the Syrian city of Aleppo on Friday, leaving scores of casualties behind, according to the Syrian state news agency (SANA).
SANA quoted a military source saying that Israeli warplanes launched an initial attack around 1:45 a.m., local time from the direction of Athriya, southeast of Aleppo.
According to Reuters, 38 people, including five members of the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah were killed in the attack.
The attack is one of a series of military campaigns launched by Israeli forces against Iran-backed groups in Syria and others since the October 7 attack by Hamas.
The latest attack is focused on Hezbollah and its assets there, said Heiko Wimmen, project director for Iraq, Syria and Lebanon at the International Crisis Group, a conflict resolution and prevention organisation.
Hezbollah has since October 7 been embroiled in intense cross-border fighting with Israel. Its involvement in the war has sparked fears that Israel’s war in Gaza could spill over into a wider regional conflict.
Russia Condemns Attack On Syria
Russia has condemned Israel’s air raids on Syria, describing it as a breach of the country’s sovereignty.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, warned that the attack is “fraught with extremely dangerous consequences.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
