Israeli air strikes kill dozens of Gaza Strip residents War goes beyond annihilation

Dozens of residents of the Gaza Strip, mostly women and children, were killed as a result of a series of Israeli air strikes on populated areas of the enclave.

The Maghazi refugee camp was subjected to an Israeli air strike on December 28, according to WAFA News Agency.

A civilian vehicle carrying wounded people came under fire near the town of Deir al-Balah. All of its passengers were killed.

At least seven people were killed in an Israeli raid on the Nuseirat camp in the central Gaza Strip. Israeli air strikes again hit Khan Younis in the south of the enclave, killing and wounding. 

As further reported, the UN has expressed grave concern after Israeli strikes killed dozens of people in Bureij, Nuseirat and Maghazi camps.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian president has described what is happening in Gaza as "beyond a war of annihilation".

The Hamas-run health ministry has said at least 195 people have been killed across the territory over the past 24 hours.

Moreover, a shootout took place between the Israeli military and local resistance fighters in the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the West Bank.

Five Palestinians were reportedly injured as a result of the clash. The Israeli army continues to carry out raids in such cities as Al-Bira, Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus, Jericho and Hebron.

It was also reported that three more Israeli soldiers killed, three seriously injured in Gaza

A 22-year-old major in Israel’s 77th Battalion, a 24-year-old captain in the 52nd Battalion’s armoured brigade, and a 32-year-old deputy commander in the 198th Battalion were killed in fighting in south and central Gaza on December 27.

The three seriously wounded received injuries in the same battles as the three deceased soldiers, Israel’s military said.

The UN reports that 22 Israeli soldiers were killed over December 26  and 27 in Gaza, bringing the total number of Israeli forces killed in the Palestinian territory to 162 since the ground invasion began two months ago.

It was not known if the three latest deaths were included in the total death toll reported by the UN.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, more than 21,100 have been killed - mostly children and women - during 11 weeks of fighting.

The war was triggered by an unprecedented cross-border attack by Hamas gunmen on southern Israel on October 7, in which at least 1,200 people were killed - most of them civilians - and about 240 others taken hostage.