ISRAELI STRIKES ON two houses in northern Gaza this morning have killed 30 people, including 13 children, the region’s civil defence agency has said.

The first strike hit a home in Jabalia overnight and killed at least 25 people, according to the agency. A second strike on the Sabra neighbourhood near Gaza City killed five more people.

Dozens are injured or missing as a result of the strike, the agency has said.

The Israeli military has told the AFP news agency that it is ‘looking into the reports’ of the strikes.

Since 6 October, the Israeli military has launched a siege on areas of northern Gaza with the aim to stop militant groups from regrouping in the region.

Yesterday, the UN’s famine review committee said it has serious concerns over the level of aid that is reaching areas in northern Gaza and believes the population there are at an ‘imminent’ risk of starvation.

The UN’s human rights office on Friday also expressed serious concern over the number of civilian casualties, particularly women and children, and condemned the ‘complete siege’ Israel has held over Gaza.

Israel’s campaign has killed 43,552 people in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to figures from Gaza’s health ministry.

Both agencies called on Israel to end the siege on northern Gaza.

Israel’s mission to the UN in Geneva “categorically” rejected the report, decrying “the inherent obsession” of the human rights office with the “demonisation of Israel”. It also questioned the accuracy of the famine committee’s report.

- © AFP 2024, additional reporting by Muiris O’Cearbhaill