Five Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrike in Gaza City

Gaza, July 02: Five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a gathering in Gaza City, while the Israeli army urged residents of eastern Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip, to evacuate immediately.

Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that Israeli aircraft targeted the gathering on Al-Jala Street in Gaza City on Monday. Videos circulating on Facebook showed young people lying on the ground after the airstrike.

Medical sources reported that the airstrike resulted in the killing of five people and injuries to 10 others, all of whom were transported to the hospital.

The attack came after Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee, in a post on social media platform X, urged residents and displaced persons in areas east of Khan Younis to evacuate immediately to the humanitarian zone, reports Xinhua news agency.

Also on Monday, the Gaza health authorities said in a press statement that the Israeli army killed 23 Palestinians and wounded 91 others during the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll in the strip to 37,900 and injuries to 87,060 since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict broke out last October.

Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.