Israeli strike on Gaza house kills many, medics and rescuers say

On Saturday, Israel rejected warnings of famine in northern Gaza from global food security experts, saying the group relied on “partial, biased data and superficial sources with vested interests”.

The independent Famine Review Committee (FRC) said there was a strong likelihood of imminent famine and that immediate action was required to ease a catastrophic situation.

Israel said it had increased aid efforts, including opening an additional crossing on Friday to get more aid into southern Gaza.

The IDF later said it had delivered 11 trucks of food, water and medical aid into Jabalia and Beit Hanoun on Thursday.

On Friday the UN’s Human Rights Office said nearly 70% of victims in Gaza within a six-month period were women and children.

About 80% of victims were killed in residential buildings or similar housing, the UN agency added.

It said the high number of civilian deaths was largely due to Israel’s use of weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated areas, although some deaths may have been the result of errant projectiles by Palestinian armed groups.

Israel has previously said that it targets Hamas and takes steps to mitigate risk to civilians by using precise munitions.

Meanwhile, efforts to reach a ceasefire have stalled, with Qatar suspending its work as a mediator until Hamas and Israel “show their willingness” to negotiate.

Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the UN sees as reliable, has reported a death toll of more than 43,600 people since the start of the war. Many more bodies are believed to remain under the rubble of bombarded buildings.

Over the last 24 hours, 51 dead bodies from Israeli attacks had been brought to hospitals, the ministry said.

Israel launched its current military offensive in Gaza after Hamas’ attack on 7 October 2023 that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and took 251 hostages back to Gaza.