Israeli forces have bombed residential areas of Beit Lahia, killing at least 73 people, the Gaza government media office has said.
Local sources told The New Arab‘s Arabic-language service that buildings collapsed while residents were still inside.
Earlier on Saturday, Israeli forces attacked one of the key medical facilities in northern Gaza, the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia.
The facility’s director, Marwan Sultan, said: “Israeli tanks have completely surrounded the hospital, cut off electricity and shelled the hospital, targeting the second and third floors with artillery.”
“There are serious risks to medical staff and patients,” he stressed.
Israel’s attack on the hospital comes amid an escalating offensive targeting Gaza’s north, particularly Jabalia, where the Israeli army has deployed extra forces and killed scores of people.
The army also attacked the al-Maghazi camp in central Gaza early on Saturday, killing at least 11 people.
Israel is also continuing to attack Lebanon. Two people were killed in a strike targeting a car on the Jounieh highway, north of Beirut – in the first attack on the area since cross-border fire with Hezbollah broke out in October last year.
In Israel, a drone launched from Lebanon targeted the home of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the northern Israeli town of Caesarea, though the premier was not at his residence at the time of the strike.
No casualties were reported.
