The Israeli military said it carried out the strike to kill a top Hamas leader. BBC
An Israeli airstrike hit a residential building in eastern Gaza City on Tuesday. The attack happened near the al-Hawashi mosque in the Shejaiya neighborhood. A hospital in the area confirmed that at least 29 people died. Many of them were children. Rescue teams searched the rubble for more victims.
Early reports said 23 people were killed. But later in the day, 15 more bodies were pulled from the debris. The search continued throughout the evening. Officials feared even more people were still trapped under the collapsed building.
The Israeli army said it targeted a top Hamas member. They claimed this person was behind several attacks. The military said it used precision strikes to avoid civilian harm. But the damage was massive.
A video from the scene showed families crying and carrying children’s bodies. The area was filled with destroyed tents, shattered homes, and dust. People screamed in fear as they looked for loved ones. One resident, Ayub Salim, said missiles hit the area hard, sending shrapnel everywhere.
“It was like a nightmare,” he said. “We couldn’t see anything. People were panicking.”
The attack happened in an area where many displaced people had taken shelter. Locals said this place had not been ordered to evacuate. Families thought it was safe. An elderly man from Shejaiya asked, “Why bomb this place? What did the children do?”
Hamas said the strike was a "bloody massacre." They blamed Israel for targeting civilians. The Israeli army said Hamas used civilians as shields, which led to civilian deaths.
Over the past 24 hours, Gaza’s health ministry reported 33 deaths from Israeli strikes. Since Israel resumed its attacks on March 18, over 1,480 people have died. The army said it had hit more than 45 Hamas targets across Gaza in one day. This included weapons factories and rocket sites.
Israeli troops are also moving deeper into Shejaiya and southern Gaza. They aim to control an area between Rafah and Khan Younis. This land is becoming a military zone. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said they are putting more pressure on Hamas. He said all of Rafah would be emptied and turned into a secured area.
In just three weeks, 390,000 people have fled their homes. Most of Gaza is now under evacuation orders or labeled no-go zones. People are running out of food, medicine, and fuel. Aid trucks haven’t entered Gaza for a month.
The UN’s Secretary General called Gaza a “killing field.” He said the blockade breaks international law. The UN urged action, saying civilians face endless danger.
Israel rejected these claims. Officials said over 25,000 aid trucks had entered Gaza during the ceasefire. They accused Hamas of using the aid for war.
On Monday, six UN aid agencies said food in Gaza was still not enough. They called for protecting civilians, letting aid in, freeing hostages, and restarting peace talks.
Mediators are trying to bring back the ceasefire. It began in January and ended after Hamas released some hostages. Israel resumed attacks, saying Hamas wouldn’t release more hostages. Hamas accused Israel of breaking the deal.
The war began after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. They killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Since then, Gaza’s health ministry says over 50,840 people have died.
