Palestinians restricted to 30 percent of Gaza as Israeli airstrikes kill 16

Israeli strikes on Wednesday killed at least 16 Palestinians across Gaza, including three people in Jabalia and eight in Khan Younis.

The toll also includes a child and two adults, after the Israeli army targeted a shelter in the central Gaza Strip. A husband and wife were also killed in a home in the Bani Suheila village after it was struck. 

Medics said two strikes also targeted the Karama School in the Tuffah neighbourhood, a suburb of Gaza City. The attack killed local Gaza journalist Nour Abdu, Palestinian media said. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli army on the attack. 

The increased aggression comes just a day after Gaza's civil defence confirmed on Tuesday that Israeli strikes on a school where displaced people were sheltering killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens more.

Hamas immediately denounced the strike, saying that Israel had targeted "defenceless civilians in places of refuge and shelter".

"The Bureij massacre is a heinous war crime that requires the prosecution of the occupation’s leaders in international courts as war criminals," a statement from the group read.

Hamas also hit out at Israel’s recently announced plans to expand its military operation in Gaza.

 "The approval of the [Israeli] occupation cabinet of plans to expand its ground offensive in Gaza represents an explicit decision to sacrifice the Israeli hostages in the enclave," the group said, adding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intends to commit more crimes with the help of the US administration.

As part of Netanyahu's plan, thousands of reservists will be called up in the coming weeks while Palestinians living in areas of northern and southern Gaza will be displaced and confined within "sterile zones", overlooked by the Israeli army.

The zones will also include "hubs" built by Israel and managed by US security contractors, where aid will be vetted and distributed from, reports state.

Truce talks

Meanwhile, Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Wednesday emphasised that they were committed to reaching an agreement that would end the "unprecedented humanitarian crisis and alleviate the suffering of civilians by fostering the necessary conditions for achieving a comprehensive ceasefire".

A joint statement from the mediators said both countries were working with the US to reach a deal and that they would continue their joint efforts to end the war.

The comments come just a day after a senior Hamas official told reporters: "There is no sense in engaging in talks or considering new ceasefire proposals as long as the hunger war and extermination war continue in the Gaza Strip".

Meanwhile, Palestinians have been limited to only 30 percent of the besieged enclave, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Israel has continued to designate more areas as no-go zones and has made entire regions restricted zones.

The restrictions have made areas densely populated and caused severe overcrowding, further worsening the quality of life of civilians. 

The increased attacks and dire conditions come as Israel continues its over two-month blockade on Gaza, obstructing the entry of life-saving emergency aid, including medical tools, shelter equipment and food.

Many hospitals and medical centres have shuttered as a result of a lack of fuel, while bakeries have also closed as flour and other essential items have become more scarce. 

The UN agency UNRWA reiterated this week that "there must be a concerted international effort to stop this humanitarian catastrophe from reaching a new unseen level".

Israel's war on Gaza has killed over 61,700 Palestinians, according to the Gaza government media office. The war has levelled entire neighbourhoods and plunged the Strip into a deep humanitarian crisis.