On Friday, Israel reported that three rockets were launched from Gaza, marking the latest in a series of recent attacks from the Palestinian region. Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, warned of even more severe retaliatory measures if the rocket fire continues.
According to the Israeli military, one of the rockets landed near the Nir Am community, while the other fell in an open space. Earlier, sirens were activated near Beeri due to another rocket fired from Gaza. Thankfully, no injuries were reported from these incidents.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, rescue teams recovered the bodies of 12 Palestinians, including several children, who were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City, the Maghazi refugee camp, and the city of Rafah. Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defense, described the day as extremely challenging for Gaza’s residents, especially in Gaza City, due to the ongoing Israeli bombardments.
Bassal also noted that most of the casualties occurred in northern and central Gaza, while the remaining fatalities were in the south. He reported that many others were injured throughout the region.
The Israeli military stated that, in the last 24 hours, their air force had targeted around 40 Hamas positions in Gaza. Some of these sites were allegedly located in areas that once housed schools.
Bassal, however, rejected these claims, accusing Israeli forces of committing atrocities under the guise of targeting militants. He further alleged that Israeli forces were preventing food and water from reaching medical personnel, patients, and injured people at the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia. According to Bassal, the hospital is nearly destroyed, with only rubble remaining.
Israel has carried out extensive operations in northern Gaza since October 6, focusing on preventing Hamas from regrouping in these areas. The Israeli military reported active operations in Beit Hanoun, where they have been eliminating “terrorist cells.”
Bassal estimated that about 10,000 people remain in northern Gaza, compared to the 150,000–200,000 who lived there before the conflict began. Many who fled the area sought refuge in Gaza City.
The war erupted following Hamas’s October 7 assault on Israel, which killed 1,208 people, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures. In response, Israeli strikes have killed over 45,500 people in Gaza, the majority of whom are civilians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, with the UN recognizing these numbers as credible.
Additionally, Israel’s military downed a missile and drone launched from Yemen, marking the latest attack from the region in recent weeks. Yemen’s Huthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, have been targeting Israel with missiles and drones, claiming their actions are in solidarity with Palestinians. Israel has also targeted Yemen in recent weeks, including a strike on Sanaa’s international airport in late December.
