Nine Palestinians, including six children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Rafah - the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, the Associated Press reported. , quoted by BTA, referring to a statement by hospital authorities from today.
Israel continues its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory, which has led to a dramatic escalation of tensions in the Middle East, according to the AP.
The strike carried out last night hit a residential building in Rafah, the Gaza Civil Defense Service said. The bodies of six children, two women and a man were taken to the hospital "Abu Youssef al-Najjar" in Rafah, according to data from the medical facility.
The city of Rafah, which sits on the border with Egypt, is currently home to more than half of Gaza's population of around 2.3 million, most of whom have been displaced by fighting in the enclave's north.< /p>
Despite calls for restraint from the international community, including its strongest ally the United States, the Israeli government has insisted for months it will launch a ground offensive in the city, where it says most of the militants of the radical Palestinian movement are hiding. "Hamas", notes AP.
The war in Gaza was triggered by the unprecedented attack of the group "Hamas" against Israel on October 7, when, according to Israel, nearly 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken hostage in Gaza. According to the Health Ministry of "Hamas" the number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of the Israeli offensive has already exceeded 34,000.