By Peter Omopo
June 28, 2025 | Gaza — At least 23 people, including three children, were killed on Saturday as Israeli forces carried out fresh strikes across the Gaza Strip, according to the territory’s civil defence agency.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that dozens more were wounded in the attacks, which included drone and air strikes on residential areas.
“At least 23 dead and dozens of wounded were taken to hospitals after Israeli firing and raids,” Bassal said, noting that six separate air strikes hit multiple locations across the war-battered enclave.
In one of the deadliest incidents, three children were reported killed when a house was struck in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Video footage obtained by AFP showed grieving relatives mourning the young victims, their bodies wrapped and prepared for burial.
Bassal added that two additional people were killed by Israeli fire while waiting for food aid in the Netzarim corridor, an area in central Gaza that has become a flashpoint for violence amid Israel’s blockade.
The Israeli military has not issued a statement on the latest casualties and has yet to respond to media requests for comment.
The conflict, now in its ninth month, has devastated the densely populated territory of more than two million people. Humanitarian organisations and rights groups have warned of looming famine, as aid convoys face severe restrictions and near-daily violence.
On June 25, aid trucks were seen entering Gaza through the Israeli-controlled Zikim crossing, but relief agencies say the supplies are insufficient to meet the growing needs of the population.
