Israeli Attacks Kill Dozens in Central, Southern Gaza

Israeli attacks killed dozens of people in the Gaza Strip amid new military strikes in central and southern Gaza.

The Israeli military said Wednesday it struck 150 targets in the Maghazi area in central Gaza and in the Khan Younis area in the southern part of the Palestinian enclave. It described those killed as “terrorists.”

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza said 70 people were killed and 130 wounded in attacks overnight. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and fighters in its casualty figures.

The ongoing violence came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken remained in the region amid a shuttle campaign with multiple objectives, including trying to prevent the war from spreading.

Blinken has also sought to push Israel to prevent civilian casualties and facilitate aid deliveries to Gaza, and he has discussed efforts to free the remaining hostages held by militants in Gaza. In meetings with regional leaders, Blinken has discussed postwar governance of Gaza and ways to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Israeli officials have said the fighting will continue for many more months as the army seeks to erase Hamas’ control of the Gaza Strip, end the threat the militant group poses to Israel and free what are believed to be 129 hostages still held by Hamas.

Hamas killed about 1,200 people in its October attack on Israel and captured 240 hostages, according to the Israeli government. The Hamas-controlled Gaza health ministry says Israel’s counteroffensive has killed more than 23,300 Palestinians. Vast swaths of Gaza have been left in rubble and 85% of its population of 2.3 million displaced.

The United Nations has warned of the dire effects of the conflict on civilians in Gaza, with most people there having fled their homes, and humanitarian workers and health facilities facing difficulty in providing aid.

Some material for this report was provided by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.