Israeli Strike in Jabaliya Kills More Than 30 Palestinians, Gaza’s Civil Defense Says

Israel’s military struck a house in northern Gaza where displaced families were sheltering on Sunday, killing at least 34 people, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense, the main emergency service in the territory.

Dr. Mohammed Al Moghayer, a spokesman for the group, said that 14 children were among the dead after the strike in the city of Jabaliya on Sunday morning. People were still trapped under the rubble, he added, warning that the death toll was likely to rise.

Wafa, the Palestinian Authority’s news agency, reported that the house, which was “crowded with residents and displaced people” was destroyed. It said that a “large number” of wounded people were taken to the nearby Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City.

In response to questions about the strike on Sunday, Israel’s military said it had struck “a terrorist infrastructure site” in Jabaliya where militants who posed a threat to troops had been operating and that it had taken “numerous steps to mitigate the risk of harming civilians.” The military, which said that the details of the incident were under review, did not provide evidence for its claims.

Dr. Hussam Abu Safyia, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Jabaliya, said that his hospital was receiving “distressing calls about people trapped under the rubble” on Sunday but was unable to provide help. Kamal Adwan is one of the last semi-functional hospitals in northern Gaza, but has been damaged by Israeli attacks and a raid over the last weeks.

Jabaliya has come under repeated attack as the Israeli military has stepped up an offensive in areas of northern Gaza over the past month, saying it was trying to eliminate a regrouped Hamas presence there. Israel’s military has issued widespread evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza and Israeli troops, tanks and armed drones have bombarded the area almost daily.