Israeli strikes kill at least 20 in Gaza, health officials say

At least 20 people have been killed in Gaza following a fresh round of Israeli strikes Palestinian health officials said on Tuesday as Israel expanded its incursion into an area previously spared from heavy fighting during the 21monthlong warThe escalation coincides with renewed efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the ongoing IsraelHamas war aimed at halting hostilities and securing the release of at least some of the remaining hostagesNegotiations have dragged on for weeks without a breakthrough mediators have expressed cautious optimism A major sticking point remains Israelrsquos expanding control over significant portions of Gaza with a potential troop withdrawal emerging as a central issueThe Trump administration has reportedly urged Israel to bring the war to a close and has shown signs of frustration On Monday President Donald Trumprsquos Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said he was ldquocaught off guardrdquo by a recent Israeli strike on a Catholic church in GazaSenior Christian clergy who visited the church last week held a press conference in Jerusalem on Tuesday calling for an immediate end to the warStrike on refugee camp and aid seekers kills 20One of the strikes reportedly hit tents sheltering displaced civilians in the densely populated Shati refugee camp on the western edge of Gaza City killing at least 12 people according to Gazarsquos Shifa Hospital AP reportedThe Israeli military said it was unaware of any such strike carried out by its forcesDr Mohamed Abu Selmiyah director of the hospital told The Associated Press that the victims included three women and three children He said 38 other Palestinians were woundedFootage released by the Health Ministryrsquos ambulance and emergency service showed torn tents and several of the deceased lying on the groundAn overnight strike in Gaza City targeting crowds waiting for aid trucks left eight people dead and at least 118 wounded according to the Palestinian Red Crescent AP reportedAhmed Mhana who had been waiting along the coastal road said the crowd was struck twice by Israeli aircraft The Israeli military has not commented on the incidentIsrael maintains that civilian casualties are the result of Hamas operating in densely populated areas and has blamed the group for prolonging the conflict by refusing to accept ceasefire terms which include disarmament and relinquishing powerHeavy shelling reported in Deir alBalahIn Deir alBalah central Gaza mdash an area previously untouched by major ground operations mdash residents reported intense shelling and heavy explosions overnightldquoIt was nonstoprdquo said Ayman Aby Hassan ldquoWe felt that the area was shaking as if there was an earthquakerdquoHassan in his forties fled from the southwestern part of Deir alBalah following an Israeli incursion earlier this week seeking refuge in the coastal Muwasi areaEarlier in the week the Israeli military had issued evacuation orders for parts of the cityHamasled militants abducted 251 people during the 7 October 2023 attack that triggered the war and killed approximately 1200 people Of the 50 hostages believed to remain in Gaza fewer than half are thought to be aliveAccording to Gazarsquos Health Ministry more than 59000 Palestinians have been killed during the conflict The ministry part of the Hamasrun government does not distinguish between civilian and militant casualties but says over half of those killed are women and children Despite its affiliation the UN and other international organisations regard the ministry as the most credible source of casualty data in the regionChurch leaders call for end to war after Gaza visitIn Jerusalem top Christian leaders appealed to the international community to help end the war following a rare visit to Gaza last weekTheir visit came a day after Israel shelled Gazarsquos only Catholic church killing three people and injuring 10 others including a priest known to have had a close relationship with the late Pope FrancisThe strike drew condemnation from Pope Leo XIV and President Trump and prompted a statement of regret from Israeli officials who described the incident as accidentalldquoIt is time to end this nonsense end the warrdquo said Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa at the press conferenceAccess to Gaza has been heavily restricted by Israel since the war began though church leaders have made occasional visits for religious observancesCardinal Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III described the enclave as ldquoalmost totally destroyedrdquoThey recounted seeing elderly people women and children who were ldquototally starved and hungryrdquo and called for urgent international aidldquoEvery hour without food water medicine and shelter causes deep harmrdquo Pizzaballa said ldquoIt is morally unacceptable and unjustifiablerdquoOver 1000 killed while seeking aid says UNIsrael has significantly reduced the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza Even when aid is allowed in its distribution is often marred by violence and chaosOn Tuesday the United Nations reported that more than 1000 people had been killed while trying to access aid since Israel altered the distribution mechanism The UN accused Israel of responsibility stating that over 750 of those deaths occurred ldquoin the vicinityrdquo of aid points managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation mdash a group backed by both Israel and the United StatesThe foundation has mostly denied that violence occurs at its distribution sitesWith AP inputs