Israeli artillery, warplanes shell Rafah, Deir al-Balah in Gaza

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen
18 Feb 2024 04:08
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Israeli occupation forces continue to target civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli occupation helicopter flies over Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Dahman)

The Israeli occupation artillery shelled the eastern part of Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip during the early hours of Sunday, as Israeli naval warships opened fire toward the city's coast.

Palestinian media reported that Israeli shelling targeted a house sheltering displaced people in the Khirbet al-Adas area north of Rafah, resulting in the martyrdom of six Palestinians, including two children and a woman.

Additionally, Israeli airstrikes targeted a house on Al-Azaiza Street in Deir al-Balah city in central Gaza. Meanwhile, several injuries, including a wounded child, were transferred to Al-Aqsa Hospital as a result of Israeli airstrikes on Deir al-Balah.

Furthermore, Israeli occupation warplanes bombed civilian homes in the al-Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

Earlier, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the Israeli occupation forces had detained a large number of the administration and staff of Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the Ministry underlined that arresting medical staff amounts to a war crime and disregards the lives of patients and the wounded who are in dire need of immediate care and treatment.

This comes as Israeli occupation forces continue to besiege Nasser Medical Complex amidst power outages and the generators ceasing operation due to fuel depletion, leading to the martyrdom of five patients.

Earlier on Saturday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) announced that the Israeli occupation forces continue to detain 12 of its crews, including seven from the al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, a week ago.

The PRCS expressed grave concern about the well-being of its detained medical crews, warning of their unknown fate.

It also called on the international community to intervene urgently and pressure the Israeli authorities to release the detained medical teams and provide protection for those working in the Gaza Strip.

On the 134th consecutive day of the war, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that the number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of the Israeli aggression on the Strip on October 7 has risen to 28,858, in addition to 68,667 injured.

In the past 24 hours, Israeli occupation forces committed 9 massacres against families in Gaza, murdering 83 Palestinians and injuring 125 others, the Ministry emphasized.