An Israeli airstrike on a post office in Gaza, used as a shelter by displaced residents, resulted in the deaths of at least 30 Palestinians and injuries to 50 others, according to medical sources. The Israeli military stated on Friday that the target was a senior Islamic Jihad leader responsible for orchestrating attacks on Israeli civilians and troops.
The attack occurred late Thursday in the Nuseirat camp, part of a densely populated area in Gaza originally established as a refugee camp in 1948. Medics reported that families fleeing violence across the enclave had sought refuge in the postal facility, raising the day’s death toll in Gaza to 66.
Israeli officials accused Islamic Jihad of using civilian infrastructure as a shield for its activities, though the military is reviewing the casualty numbers.
Earlier on Thursday, separate Israeli strikes in southern Gaza killed 13 Palestinians who, according to medics and Hamas, were guarding humanitarian aid trucks. The Israeli military contended the targets were Hamas militants attempting to hijack the aid.
Hamas has claimed that Israeli strikes have killed over 700 of its police forces tasked with securing humanitarian deliveries since the war began. Armed groups have reportedly hijacked aid trucks in the region, leading Hamas to deploy forces against these gangs, resulting in violent clashes.
Additionally, the Israeli military issued evacuation orders for residents in central Gaza City on Thursday, triggering a mass exodus of families seeking refuge elsewhere.
Efforts to broker a ceasefire, led by Egypt, Qatar, and supported by the U.S., have yet to yield an agreement. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, in Tel Aviv, indicated progress in negotiations, suggesting that a ceasefire deal and hostage release might be imminent.
The ongoing conflict began after Hamas gunmen attacked Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Since then, Israeli airstrikes have devastated Gaza, displacing nearly 2.3 million residents, exacerbating hunger and disease, and resulting in over 44,800 deaths, according to Palestinian health officials.