Israeli Strikes in Gaza Kill 17, Rescue Efforts Ongoing

Gaza's civil defence agency reported that Israeli air strikes killed at least 17 people on Saturday, with more trapped beneath rubble after a family home was targeted.

The strikes come as Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on March 18, ending a two-month truce that had eased the violence.

Mohammed Al-Mughayyir, a civil defence official, confirmed the fatalities, saying, "Israeli air strikes in multiple areas have killed 17 people since dawn."

One of the deadliest attacks hit the Al-Khour family's home in Gaza City's Sabra neighbourhood, where 10 people were killed. Witnesses reported around 20 more victims trapped under the debris. Mahmud Bassal, a spokesman for the civil defence agency, initially reported that about 30 people were missing under the rubble.

Survivor Umm Walid al-Khour described the harrowing scene: "Everyone was sleeping with their children when the strike hit. The house collapsed on top of us. Those who survived cried for help, but no one came... Most of the deceased were children."

Footage showed rescuers pulling a wounded man from the debris as search efforts continued.

Elsewhere in Gaza, three more people were killed in Israeli shelling at a house in the Al-Shati refugee camp, while four others died in separate strikes across the strip.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

According to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry, Israel’s renewed military actions since March have killed at least 2,062 Palestinians, bringing the total death toll in the ongoing conflict to 51,439 since the war began. The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that sparked the war killed 1,218 people, mostly civilians, while 251 individuals were abducted, 58 of whom remain in Gaza, with 34 reportedly dead, according to Israeli military figures.

Israel states that its ongoing military campaign aims to secure the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.