Israeli strikes and ground invasion in Gaza kill at least 70 Palestinians

Residents say they feel Israel retaliated against them after Iran launched a salvo of ballistic missiles

A destroyed classroom in the aftermath of Israeli bombardment on a school in Gaza City on October 2, 2024. AFP

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Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip killed at least 70 Palestinians on Tuesday, including at a school sheltering the displaced, as Israel tanks advanced into southern areas of the enclave, residents said.

Israeli tank crews carried out a raid in eastern and central Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, killing at least 58 people and injuring 82 others before partially retreating, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

At least nine others were killed and 20 wounded in Israeli strikes on a school and orphanage in Gaza city. Three people were killed in a strike on the school in the Tuffah neighbourhood in Gaza city, while six others were killed in a separate attack on Al Amal orphanage west of thecity, Wafa news agency reported.

The escalation in Israeli strikes on Gaza came after Iran launched more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday night in retaliation for Israel's offensive against Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel had announced it was shifting its focus away from Gaza to Lebanon where it has launched an invasion after weeks of deadly attacks.

“The army retaliated after the strikes by Iran and Hezbollah, and all the talk of easing pressure on Gaza is a lie. Nothing can stop their massacres and slaughter against us,” Moaz Al Najjar, a resident of Khan Younis, told The National.

Residents described a night of intense and shelling that targeted homes and tents where displaced families were sheltering in several areas of Khan Younis as Israeli tanks rolled into the Ma'en, Al Manara, and Salam areas.

“The teams received calls from people trapped in the eastern part of Khan Younis due to the advance of Israeli occupation machinery, but they could only reach the area in the morning after the forces withdrew,” Mahmoud Basal, a representative for Gaza Civil Defence told The National.

“What we witnessed was more destruction, dozens of new victims.” Mr Basal added that the limited rescue equipment and resources make it even more difficult to reach victims during night-time strikes.

“The shelling was random, and artillery fire was extremely heavy, with drones everywhere. I still can't believe I'm alive because it felt like Judgment Day,” Mr Al Najjar said, adding that the ground incursion began “without any warning or evacuation alert.”

France criticised the overnight Israeli strikes and reiterated calls for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages taken by Hamas on October 7. “For several weeks, civilian infrastructure, where populations find refuge, have been repeatedly targeted by the Israeli army,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

“So many people died and were injured, with no one to rescue them, and some had their homes bombed on top of them,” he said as he recounted how he and his family survived by hiding in a basement of a house.

Residents also recounted gruesome scenes in the overnight strikes on Gaza city.

“Bodies, including children, women, and the elderly, were pulled out charred from under the rubble,” Raed Hamada told The National of the attack on the school in Tuffah, where he and other displaced Palestinians were sheltering. “The school was supposed to be safe.”

Later on Wednesday, at least four other people were killed in a strike on another school sheltering displaced families in Nuseirat refugee camp. The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas command center embedded in the compound.

Palestinians in Gaza have endured almost a year of war with Israel which has killed more than 41,600 people, injured tens of thousands, and has displaced the majority of the population.

“Instead of facing countries with weapons or armed groups, the Israelis are taking out their rage on us, the displaced. Every day, we hope it will end soon, but everything only gets worse – more death, more bombings, and no one looks at us or cares about our suffering,” Mr Hamada said.