Gaza rescuers say nine children among dead in Israel strike on UN building
The Israeli army said it targeted Hamas militants in a strike on a UN building in Jabalia refugee camp Wednesday that Gaza's civil defence agency said killed 19 people, nine of them children.
The army said in a statement that it struck the militants "inside a command and control centre that was being used for coordinating terrorist activity", and separately confirmed to AFP the building housed a UN clinic.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said there were also dozens of people wounded in the strike which "targeted an UNRWA building housing a medical clinic".
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) was not immediately able to confirm the strike.
The army said that "the compound was used by Hamas's Jabalia Battalion to plan terror attacks", and accused Hamas of "exploiting the civilian population as a human shield".
The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the "massacre at the UNRWA clinic in Jabalia", calling for "serious international pressure" to halt Israel's widening offensive.
The Islamic Jihad militant group, a Hamas ally, called the bombing a "blatant war crime".
Israel has on several occasions conducted strikes on UNRWA buildings housing displaced people in Gaza, where fighting has raged for most of the past 18 months.
A strike on the United Nations-run Al-Jawni school in central Gaza on September 11 drew international outcry after UNRWA said six of its staff were among the 18 people reported killed.
The Israeli military accuses Hamas of hiding in school buildings where thousands of Gazans have sought shelter -- a charge the Palestinian militant group denies.
Israel resumed major air strikes on the Palestinian territory on March 18, after talks on next steps in a six-week truce broke down.
It also conducted air strikes on southern and central Gaza on Wednesday that the civil defence agency said killed at least 15 people, including children, in the city of Khan Yunis and Nuseirat refugee camp.
Since then, at least 1,042 people have been killed in Gaza, according to figures last updated by the Hamas-run health ministry on Tuesday.
In total, 50,399 people have been killed since the start of the war triggered by Hamas's October 2023 attack, according to the ministry's figures, which the United Nations views as reliable.
bur-lba/kir
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Milei says Argentina to move Israel embassy to Jerusalem in 2026
Argentine President Javier Milei said Wednesday his country would in 2026 move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, the status of which is one of the most delicate issues in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. "I am proud to announce before you that in 2026 we will make effective the move of our embassy to the city of west Jerusalem, as we promised," Milei said in a speech in the Israeli parliament during an official state visit. Argentina's embassy is currently located in Herzliya near the coastal city of Tel Aviv. This is Milei's second visit to Israel since being elected in 2023. His previous trip, in February 2024, was his first official state visit outside of Argentina. During that trip he announced plans to move Argentina's embassy to Jerusalem -- a controversial move that echoed US President Donald Trump's shock 2017 decision to unilaterally recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Israel has occupied east Jerusalem since 1967, later annexing it in a move not recognised by the international community. Israel treats the city as its capital, while Palestinians want east Jerusalem to become the capital of a future state. Most foreign embassies to Israel are located in the coastal hub city of Tel Aviv in order to avoid interfering with negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. Speaking ahead of Milei's address to parliament on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "the city of Jerusalem will never be divided again." Several countries, including the United States, Paraguay, Guatemala, Honduras and Kosovo, have moved their embassies to Jerusalem, breaking with international consensus. - 'Stand firm' - In 2017, during his first term as US president, Trump unilaterally recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, sparking Palestinian anger and the international community's disapproval. The United States transferred its embassy to Jerusalem in May 2018. Milei, who has professed a deep interest in Judaism and studied Jewish scripture, is one of Israel's staunchest defenders. As Israel faces mounting international pressure over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza after more than 20 months of war, Milei sought to express his support. "As a nation, we want to stand firm alongside you as you go through these dark days, we will not yield to criticism resulting from cowardice or complicity with barbarism," he said on Tuesday during a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. He also demanded the "unconditional return of the four Argentines still in captivity" in Gaza after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel triggered the war. The Palestinian militant group's attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says the retaliatory Israeli military offensive has killed at least 55,104 people, the majority civilians. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable. Out of 251 taken hostage during the Hamas attack, 54 are still held in Gaza including 32 the Israeli military says are dead. lma-acc/ysm
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US threatens allies: we will retaliate if you attend UN Palestine summit
Donald Trump's administration has threatened allies with consequences if they attend an upcoming UN conference on a possible two-state solution between Israel and Palestine. The diplomatic demarche, sent on Tuesday, says countries that take 'anti-Israel actions' following the conference will be viewed as acting in opposition to US foreign policy interests and could face diplomatic consequences from Washington, Reuters reported. France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting the gathering next week in New York that aims to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. 'We are urging governments not to participate in the conference, which we view as counterproductive to ongoing, lifesaving efforts to end the war in Gaza and free hostages,' read the cable. Emmanuel Macron has suggested France could recognise a Palestinian state in Israeli-occupied territory at the conference. French officials say they have been working to avoid a clash with the US, Israel's staunchest major ally. 'The United States opposes any steps that would unilaterally recognise a conjectural Palestinian state, which adds significant legal and political obstacles to the eventual resolution of the conflict and could coerce Israel during a war, thereby supporting its enemies,' the cable read. This week Britain and Canada, also G7 allies of the United States, were joined by other countries in placing sanctions on two Israeli far-Right government ministers to pressure prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to bring the Gaza war to an end. 'The United States opposes the implied support of the conference for potential actions including boycotts and sanctions on Israel as well as other punitive measures,' the cable read. Israel has repeatedly criticised the conference, saying it rewards Islamist Hamas militants for the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, and it has lobbied France against recognising a Palestinian state. The US State Department and the French foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters detained in NYC: Organizers
MIDTOWN, Manhattan (PIX11) – Dozens of protesters were detained during a pro-Palestinian protest at Maersk's office in Midtown Manhattan, according to organizers. The protest was organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement and Jewish Voice for Peace. More Local News Organizers said around 100 people were detained. Police confirmed several people were taken into custody during a demonstration on 45th Street just before 12 p.m. The NYPD would not confirm the number of people detained. Around 200 people took over the lobby of Maersk, which ships military-related cargo from U.S. government agencies to Israel, according to Reuters. The company has denied shipping arms or ammunition to 'any active conflict zone,' Reuters reported. Protesters are calling on the company to stop any shipments to the Israeli military. 'Maersk is not just a carrier of goods — it is a central player sustaining Israel's military operations. Gaza is in dire need of shipments of aid, not shipments used to slaughter,' said Jay Saper with Jewish Voice for Peace. Maersk did not immediately respond to PIX11's request for comment. This is a developing story. Please refresh the page for updates. Emily Rahhal is a digital reporter who has covered New York City since 2023 after reporting in Los Angeles for years. She joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of her work here and follow her on Twitter here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
