GAZA CITY: Gaza’s civil defence agency reported 16 fatalities from Israeli fire on Monday, as the war-torn Palestinian territory enters its 21st month of conflict.
Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal confirmed the deaths, including five in an overnight strike on a residential building in Al-Mawasi.
The Palestinian Red Crescent stated a pregnant woman was among the victims, with medical teams performing an emergency Caesarean section in a field hospital to save the foetus.
Al-Mawasi, initially declared a humanitarian zone, continues to face air strikes while sheltering displaced Gazans.
Bassal added five more were killed in Khan Yunis’ Japanese neighbourhood, with Israel’s military stating it is reviewing the incidents.
Six others died in separate strikes across Gaza City and central Gaza.
Al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat reported one fatality and nine injuries when Israeli forces fired on Palestinians awaiting aid.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry noted five malnutrition-related deaths in 24 hours, raising the war’s total malnutrition toll to 147.
A full blockade imposed in March worsened shortages, with aid only resuming in late May.
Depleted stocks have left Gaza facing its most severe crisis since the war began in October 2023. – AFP
