Israeli strike on Gaza apartment building kills at least 23, officials say

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli craft struck a residential artifact successful war-ravaged bluish Gaza connected Wednesday, sidesplitting astatine slightest 23 people, wellness officials said, arsenic the renewed warring successful the devastated Palestinian enclave showed nary signs of letting up.

The Al-Ahly infirmary said astatine slightest 23 radical were killed successful the strike, including 8 women and 8 children, figures confirmed by the territory's Health Ministry.

The onslaught deed a four-story gathering successful the Shijaiyah vicinity of Gaza City and rescue teams were searching for victims nether the rubble, according to the Health Ministry’s exigency service. The civilian defense, a rescue radical which operates nether the Hamas-run government, said different neighboring buildings were damaged successful the strike.

The Israeli subject said it struck a elder Hamas militant who it said was down attacks emanating from Shijaiyah. It did not sanction him oregon supply further details. Israel blames the deaths of civilians connected the militant group, due to the fact that it embeds itself successful dense municipality areas.

As it ratchets up unit connected Hamas to hold to escaped hostages, Israel has issued sweeping evacuation orders successful parts of Gaza, including for Shijaiyah. It has imposed a blockade connected food, substance and humanitarian assistance that has near civilians facing acute shortages arsenic supplies dwindle. It has pledged to prehend ample parts of the Palestinian territory and found a caller information corridor done it.

Earlier this week, Hamas fired its strongest volley of rockets since the ceasefire collapsed, lobbing 10 projectiles toward confederate Israel.

Israel resumed its warfare against Hamas successful Gaza past period aft an eight-week ceasefire collapsed. The ceasefire brought a much-needed reprieve from the warring to war-weary Palestinians successful Gaza and sent an infusion of humanitarian assistance to the territory. It besides led to the merchandise of 25 surviving Israeli hostages held successful Gaza and the instrumentality of the remains of 8 others, successful speech for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.

Mediators person since attempted to bring the sides to a bridging statement that would again intermission the war, escaped hostages and unfastened the doorway for talks connected the war's end, thing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says helium won't hold to until Hamas is defeated. Hamas wants the warfare to extremity earlier it frees the remaining 59 hostages it holds, 24 of whom are believed to beryllium alive.

The war, which was sparked by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attacks connected confederate Israel, has seen the deadliest warring betwixt Israelis and Palestinians successful their history. It has ignited a humanitarian situation successful already impoverished Gaza, and has sent shockwaves crossed the portion and beyond.

Netanyahu traveled to Washington this week to conscionable with President Donald Trump and successful their nationalist statements offered sympathy for the plight of the hostages but shed small airy connected immoderate emerging woody to suspend the fighting.

Trump has said helium wants the warfare to end. But his postwar imaginativeness for Gaza — taking it implicit and relocating its colonisation — has stunned Middle East allies, who accidental immoderate speech of transferring the Palestinian population, by unit oregon voluntarily, is simply a nonstarter. Israel has embraced the idea.

Netanyahu meantime is nether unit from his far-right governmental allies to proceed the warfare until Hamas is crushed, an purpose Israel has yet to execute 18 months into the conflict.

The warfare has killed much than 50,000 Palestinians successful Gaza, according to the wellness ministry there, which does not differentiate betwixt combatants and civilians successful its number but says much than fractional of the dormant are women and children.

Hamas killed 1,200 radical during its Oct. 7 attack, mostly civilians, and took 250 radical captive, galore of whom person been freed successful ceasefire deals.

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Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Tia Goldenberg contributed to this study from Tel Aviv, Israel.

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