UPDATE - Israel kills over 100 Palestinians in northern Gaza attacks

UPDATES WITH HEALTH MINISTRY, HAMAS STATEMENTS; ADDS DETAILS; CHANGES DECK

By Ikram Kouachi

More than 100 Palestinians were killed in several attacks carried out by the Israeli army in northern Gaza at daybreak on Friday.

Medical sources told Anadolu that the Israeli army carried out “horrific massacres” targeting civilians.

They reported several casualties when the Israeli army targeted an ambulance in the town of Jabalia in northern Gaza, the latest in a series of attacks on medics and healthcare facilities.

“Since early Friday, rescue teams have recovered 50 bodies from under the rubble following Israeli airstrikes on 11 residential homes in northern Gaza,” Gaza Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal told Anadolu.

He added that “over 50 others are still trapped beneath the debris.”

He warned that the actual death toll is likely much higher, as emergency crews have been unable to reach several areas due to the ongoing bombardment across the enclave.

Basal added that Israeli forces not only struck densely populated homes but also targeted paramedics attempting to rescue victims and retrieve bodies in the aftermath of the attacks.

“There are bodies still lying in the streets of Beit Lahia, Jabalia, Jabalia refugee camp, and Beit Hanoun,” he said. “Rescue teams cannot access them because of the intensity of the strikes.”

Meanwhile, the Gaza Health Ministry said that “since the early hours of Friday, 93 martyrs and more than 200 injured have arrived at Gaza’s hospitals as a result of ongoing Israeli massacres and targeted attacks.”

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu that hundreds of Palestinian families have fled northern Gaza’s Beit Lahia because of the wave of deadly Israeli air and artillery strikes.

Families were seen evacuating on foot or in animal-drawn carts, as transportation has become nearly impossible due to the widespread destruction of roads and infrastructure.

The Palestinian group Hamas said that over 250 Palestinians have been killed in recent hours as Israel adopts a “scorched earth” policy in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Hamas accused Israel of committing "horrific massacres" and launching relentless attacks across the besieged territory.

The Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023, killing more than 53,000 Palestinians so far, most of them women and children.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.