At least 24 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza

Health officials in Gaza and hospital sources reported that Israeli forces killed at least 24 Palestinians in the city of Gaza (northern Gaza Strip) during three separate airstrikes in the early hours of Tuesday. One of the deceased was the sister of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Islamist militant group Hamas. According to Reuters, local residents stated that Israeli tanks also destroyed several homes deep in the western areas of Rafah in southern Gaza overnight. Hospital sources indicated that two of the Israeli airstrikes targeted two schools in the city of Gaza, resulting in at least 14 deaths. Another strike on a house in the Shati refugee camp, one of the eight historic refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, killed another 10 people. The targeted house in the Shati camp belonged to the Haniyeh family, the political leader of Hamas, whose group is based in Qatar. Family members of Haniyeh and hospital sources stated that one of Haniyeh's sisters along with other relatives was killed. Many of Haniyeh's relatives, including three of his sons, have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since October 7. Haniyeh expressed joy after Hamas's attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people according to Israeli statistics, and images of his 'thanksgiving prostration' were published in the media of the Islamic Republic. That attack triggered the current war in Gaza. The Israeli army announced that its forces targeted militants in the city of Gaza who were involved in planning attacks against Israel. These militants included some who participated in holding hostages or the cross-border Hamas attack on October 7. In a statement, the Israeli army stated that its air force attacked two buildings of 'Hamas terrorists' in Shati and Deir al-Balah in northern Gaza. The army said 'the terrorists operated from within schools that Hamas used as a cover for terrorist activities.' Hamas denies using civilian facilities such as schools and hospitals for military purposes. The group described the attacks on the two schools and the house in the Shati camp as a 'massacre.' Separately, the armed wings of Hamas and its allied group, 'Islamic Jihad,' in a joint statement announced that their members fired mortars at Israeli forces in eastern Rafah throughout the day. In Khan Younis, hospital sources reported that artillery attacks from Israeli tanks injured several people in a tent camp in the west of the city. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees announced that chaos is forming in Gaza as smuggling gangs have emerged, exacerbating the difficulties of delivering aid. A global hunger monitor also announced on Tuesday that the high risk of famine across the Gaza Strip continues, as fighting continues unabated and access to humanitarian aid remains limited. Hamas states that any agreement must end the war. However, Israel claims it will only agree to a temporary halt in fighting as it seeks to eradicate Hamas. Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by some countries, including the United States. Netanyahu: We agree to a 'pause' in the war for the release of hostages, but Hamas must be destroyed. The Israeli army stated that it has killed another Hamas operative involved in weapon manufacturing.