Israeli Airstrikes Kill 16 in Gaza, Including 4 Children

Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Monday resulted in the deaths of 16 people, including four children and five women, according to Palestinian officials. The attacks targeted residential areas, with a strike on a home in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killing at least 10 people, including four women and two children. The Awda Hospital reported receiving the bodies and confirmed the fatalities, which included a mother, her child, and her five siblings. Another strike in Gaza City claimed the lives of six people, including a woman and two children.

The Israeli military maintains that its operations are aimed at militants and accuses Hamas and other armed groups of putting civilians at risk by operating from residential areas. However, the military rarely comments on specific strikes that result in civilian casualties.

Gaza's Health Ministry has reported that over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict with Hamas began on October 7 of the previous year. The death toll includes a significant number of women and children, though the ministry does not specify the breakdown between fighters and civilians. In response, Israel claims to have killed over 17,000 militants but has not provided detailed evidence.

The ongoing conflict has caused extensive destruction in Gaza and displaced approximately 90% of the territory's 2.3 million residents.