CONFLICT
Israeli attacks on Gaza leave at least 87 dead or missing
The attacks come in parallel with a US investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of confidential documents
Published on October 20, 2024 at 7:35 pm
Smoke rising behind destroyed buildings in Gaza Credit: Shutterstock
Israeli attacks on several homes in the north of the Gaza Strip left at least 87 people dead or missing on the night of Saturday to Sunday. The information comes from the territory’s Ministry of Health.
It said another 40 people were injured in attacks on the city of Beit Lahiya, which was among the first targets of Israel’s ground invasion almost a year ago.
The attacks come alongside a U.S. investigation into the unauthorized release of classified documents assessing Israel’s plans to attack Iran, according to three U.S. officials. A fourth American official said the documents appeared to be legitimate.
The documents, attributed to the Geospatial Intelligence Agency and the United States National Security Agency, are marked top secret and indicate that Israel was moving military resources to conduct an attack in response to Iran’s October 1 ballistic missile offensive.
The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
The US wants Israel to press for a ceasefire in Gaza following the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar last week. But neither Israel nor Hamas have shown any renewed interest in such a deal, after months of negotiations that broke down in August.
Iran supports Hamas and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, where a year of rising tensions turned into an all-out war last month. Israel sent ground troops to Lebanon in early October.
There was no immediate comment on the attacks on Beit Lahiya from the Israeli military, which said it was “operating in Gaza in both airstrikes and ground operations.”
Mounir al-Bursh, director general of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said in a post on X that the wave of injuries worsened “an already catastrophic situation for the health system” in the region.
Internet connectivity went down in northern Gaza on Saturday night and had not yet been restored by midday on Sunday, making it difficult to gather information about the attacks.
Northern Gaza has already suffered the heaviest destruction of the war and has been surrounded by Israeli forces since late last year, following Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel.
