At least 36 Palestinians killed as Israeli strikes pound Gaza

At least 36 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since early Friday as Israeli strikes continued across the besieged enclave, particularly in the north, according to health officials.

In one of the deadliest attacks, medical sources said 14 members of the same family were killed when a house in northern Gaza City was bombed, as part of a major Israeli assault on the area.

Two people were killed when a tent sheltering displaced families in Al-Shati refugee camp, west of the city, was struck, while several more were killed when another residence in northwest Gaza City was targeted.

In Jabalia al-Nazla, also in northern Gaza, at least four people were killed in an airstrike, while one person was reported killed by Israeli gunfire in Rafah in the south as people waited for food aid.

Many others were wounded in the attacks, reports said.

Israel has said it plans to fully occupy the northern Gaza Strip, with a major offensive on Gaza City taking place.

A weeks-long offensive in Gaza City’s Al-Zeitoun, with its large Christian population, has left much of the neighbourhood destroyed and thousands displaced. Entire towns and camps elsewhere in Gaza have also been devastated, with nearly all of the territory’s 2.3 million residents displaced.

Earlier this week, Israel's Haaretz newspaper reported that Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ignored warnings from Military Advocate General Maj Gen Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, who said evacuation orders to Gaza City residents were unlawful until adequate humanitarian conditions were in place.

Zamir had initially opposed government plans to storm Gaza City but later gave his approval.

Israel’s offensive has prompted widespread condemnation, including from Western governments, amid growing scrutiny of its conduct - described by many as genocide. 

On Thursday, Gaza's health ministry said more than 64,700 people had been killed since the war began on 7 October 2023, with more than 163,000 others wounded. Thousands more are thought to be buried under the rubble.

UNICEF on Friday warned that malnutrition was having a devastating impact on children in Gaza, citing Israel’s continued restrictions on aid.

"In August, a record proportion of children screened were identified as acutely malnourished," the UN agency said. "As UNICEF works to scale up the entry and distribution of nutrition supplies, nutrition services must be protected across Gaza."