Deadly Israeli Strike in Gaza's Zawayda: Escalation and Evacuations

An Israeli strike in Gaza's Zawayda killed 17 Palestinians, including eight children and four women. Citing Hamas rocket fire, Israel issued evacuation orders, impacting 170,000 displaced people. The conflict, initiated by a Hamas attack on October 7, has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths and paused ceasefire talks.

An Israeli strike in the Gaza town of Zawayda on Saturday resulted in the deaths of at least 17 Palestinians and injuries to dozens more, health officials reported. The majority of the victims were from the same family, including eight children and four women.

Israel's military acknowledged the reports and is investigating. Neighbor Abu Ahmed Hassan said, 'They were asleep in their beds, kids and babies, then three missiles targeted their place.' He emphasized that there were no military activities in the area.

Meanwhile, Israel issued new evacuation orders for parts of central Gaza, including Maghazi district, citing Hamas rocket fire. The United Nations reported that around 170,000 displaced people were affected. Israel's ongoing offensive has devastated Gaza, displacing most of its 2.3 million population since October 7.