An Israeli attack in northern Gaza Strip killed 21 people on Wednesday, with more bodies believed to be buried under the rubble, Kamal Adwan Hospital staff said.
Palestinian witnesses reported that a four-story residential building in Beit Lahia, near the hospital, was hit.
The Israeli military initially made no comment. It says Hamas is currently trying to reorganize in the northern and central parts of the coastal strip.
According to Palestinian authorities, more than 44,700 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the Gaza war. These figures make no distinction between civilians and combatants.
The Israeli military has repeatedly emphasized that it is taking measures to reduce the risk to civilians.
Israel reports the deaths of two Hamas fighters on October 7
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday it had killed two Hamas militants who took part in the October 7 massacre in Israel.
One of them led an attack on an Israeli military post near the Gaza Strip border, killing 14 Israeli soldiers, the IDF reported on X.
It said the man, who was killed in a former school building in Gaza City, had also attacked Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip during the ensuing war.
In a separate attack on Jabalia, the army also killed the head of the Hamas paragliding unit, which led the militia’s advance into Israeli territory from the air on October 7 – with some fighters entering Israel by paraglider.
The IDF did not say exactly when the two men were killed.
Four rockets fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel
Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired four rockets into Israel early Wednesday, setting off sirens in border communities.
The Israeli military said two rockets were intercepted and two fell in uninhabited open areas of Israel. There were no reports of injuries.
Rocket fire from the Gaza Strip has become increasingly rare.