CAIRO: Israeli troops killed at least 22 Palestinians, most of them in the northern Gaza Strip, on Sunday in attacks on targets including a school sheltering displaced Palestinians, medics and residents said.

They said at least half of the dead were killed in three separate air strikes on Gaza City houses, nine were killed in the towns of Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and Jabalia camp and two were killed by drone fire in Rafah.

The Israeli attacks over past 14 months killed at least 44,976 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and wounded 106,759, the Gaza health ministry said on Sunday.

In Beit Hanoun, Israeli forces besieged families sheltering in Khalil Aweida school before storming it and ordering them to head towards Gaza City, the medics and residents said.

Medics said several people were killed and wounded during the raid on the school while the army detained many men. The number killed was not immediately clear.

The military said it struck down dozens of militants from the air and on the ground and captured others in Beit Hanoun.

Separately, Israel said its air force struck a command and control centre in a compound in the Abu Shabak clinic in northern Gaza used by Hamas.

The Gaza health ministry said the medical centre, which also included a mental health clinic, was destroyed.

Palestinians accuse Israel of carrying out ethnic cleansing to depopulate the areas at the northern edge to create a buffer zone.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2024