At least 87 killed in strike on northern Gaza, officials say, as UN warns 'nowhere is safe'

Gaza's Hamas-run wellness ministry has said astatine slightest 87 radical were killed and much than 40 injured successful Saturday's Israeli aerial onslaught connected the metropolis of Beit Lahiya successful the northbound of the Palestinian enclave.

The ministry said a fig of radical were inactive nether the rubble aft a residential country was hit.

Israel said it was checking reports of casualties but added that earlier - little - figures published by Hamas were "exaggerated". In caller weeks, the Israel subject has been carrying retired aggravated bombardment of bluish Gaza, saying it wanted to forestall Hamas fighters from regrouping there.

A elder UN authoritative warned that the "nightmare successful Gaza is intensifying" and the warfare "must halt now".

The UN's bid process co-ordinator, Tor Wennesland, has warned that "nowhere is harmless successful Gaza".

In a statement, Tor Wennesland said helium condemned the continuing attacks connected civilians.

"This warfare indispensable end, the hostages held by Hamas indispensable beryllium freed, the displacement of Palestinians indispensable cease, and civilians indispensable beryllium protected wherever they are. Humanitarian assistance indispensable beryllium delivered unimpeded," helium said.

In a connection connected Sunday, Gaza's Hamas-run wellness ministry revised its decease toll from 73 to 87 aft the Israeli onslaught connected Beit Lahia.

The earlier casualty figures were provided by Hamas precocious connected Saturday.

The ministry besides said that ambulance crews were incapable to scope the tract of the Israeli strike.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described the onslaught arsenic a "precision" onslaught connected a "Hamas panic target". It told the BBC it was "doing everything imaginable to debar causing harm to civilians".

Dr Eid Sabbah, Kamal Adwan Hospital's manager of nursing, said the Israeli onslaught successful Beit Lahia had wholly destroyed respective buildings, with "more than four, 5 residential blocks... razed to the ground".

The strikes targeted an full residential square, Dr Sabbah said, successful betwixt Abu Jidian roundabout and Al Qassam mosque.

Dr Sabbah added that dozens of radical were killed and galore were wounded “some of whom reached the hospital, immoderate of whom stay nether the rubble”.

He urged for an extremity to the "siege" connected hospitals successful bluish Gaza and "for beingness to instrumentality to normal... earlier it’s excessively late, earlier our federation is exterminated”.

Several images - including the 1 beneath - person since emerged connected societal media showing the attraction of the injured from Beit Lahia astatine the Kamal Adwan Hospital.

The images person been verified by the BBC arsenic being from the hospital.

Israel began a renewed subject violative successful bluish Gaza successful aboriginal October, saying it is trying to forestall Hamas from regrouping successful the area.

In particular, Israeli forces person surrounded and bombarded the densely-populated Jabalia area, which includes an municipality exile campy - with astatine slightest 33 radical reported killed successful a onslaught precocious connected Friday.

Humanitarian groups person warned that virtually nary assistance has entered the country successful the past fewer weeks. Israel's ain statistic amusement that assistance deliveries to Gaza arsenic a full person collapsed erstwhile compared with the aforesaid play successful September.

On Saturday, the UN's apical humanitarian official, Joyce Msuya, said that Palestinians successful bluish Gaza are enduring "unspeakable horrors" and called for these "atrocities" to stop.

Israel has repeatedly denied it is preventing humanitarian assistance from entering Gaza - but connected Tuesday the US told it to boost entree wrong 30 days oregon hazard having immoderate American subject assistance chopped off.

At slightest 42,603 ​people person been killed and 99,795 injured successful Gaza since the warfare began past October, the Hamas-run authorities say.

The warfare began aft Hamas attacked Israel connected 7 October 2023, leaving astir 1,200 radical dormant and 251 taken to Gaza arsenic hostages. Israel vowed to destruct Hamas successful response, launching a crushed violative successful the enclave.

Elsewhere, Israel continued its aerial strikes against the Lebanese radical Hezbollah successful the confederate suburbs of Beirut connected Sunday.

In a statement, the IDF said: "Earlier this morning, the IAF [Israel's aerial force] conducted an intelligence-based onslaught connected a bid centre of Hezbollah's quality office and an underground weapons store successful Beirut".

It added that respective steps were taken to "reduce the anticipation of civilian casualties", including "issuing beforehand warnings to residents".

The IDF besides reported that astir 160 rockets were fired from Lebanon into bluish Israel.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese service said 3 of it soldiers were killed aft a subject conveyance was deed by an Israeli aerial onslaught successful Nabatieh, confederate Lebanon.

Israel has not yet commented.

Lebanon's service has historically stayed retired of cross-border clashes betwixt Israel and Hezbollah - but a fig of its troops person been killed successful Israeli attacks since warring escalated past month.

Hezbollah - a almighty militant radical successful Lebanon - says it has been firing connected Israeli positions successful solidarity with Hamas successful Gaza.

Both Hezbollah and Hamas are backed by Iran.