Israeli strikes kill at least 17 in Gaza as ground troops move into northern territory

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 17 people in the Gaza Strip early Friday (5 April), as Israeli forces pushed deeper into the northern part of the Palestinian territory, intensifying their campaign against Hamas.

According to hospital sources, an airstrike in the southern city of Khan Younis killed at least 17 people, several of them from the same family. Hours later, rescuers were still searching through debris in hopes of finding survivors.

This latest assault follows Israeli airstrikes a day earlier that killed over 100 Palestinians. In the past two weeks alone, hundreds have died as Israel escalates its operations to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages taken during the group's October 2023 attack.

On Friday, Israel announced that its ground forces had entered northern Gaza to expand what it calls a "security zone."

Ahead of the ground incursion, the Israeli military had ordered mass evacuations from parts of northern Gaza. The UN's humanitarian office estimates that around 280,000 Palestinians have been displaced since Israel resumed combat operations after the breakdown of a ceasefire with Hamas last month.

Israel has recently declared plans to take control of large areas of Gaza and create a new security corridor across the territory.

To increase pressure on Hamas, Israel has enforced a blockade on food, fuel, and aid for over a month, leaving civilians in desperate need as resources dwindle. Human rights groups have condemned the tactic as a war crime. Israel, however, maintains that the volume of aid delivered during a six-week truce was sufficient for Gaza's population of roughly 2 million.

Hamas has said it will only release the 59 remaining hostages — 24 of whom are believed to be alive — if Israel agrees to release Palestinian prisoners, establish a permanent ceasefire, and withdraw from Gaza. The group has refused demands to disarm or vacate the territory.

The airstrike early Friday destroyed a three-story building, killing members of one extended family and injuring at least 16 others. AP reporters saw bodies wrapped in blankets and charred remains being recovered from the wreckage.

"We don't know how to collect the bodies or how to bury them. We can't even identify the remains. They're burned and torn apart," said Ismail Al-Aqqad, who lost his brother and his brother's family in the strike.

On Thursday, hospital staff reported that more than 30 bodies — including women and children — were brought to medical centers in and around Khan Younis.

Meanwhile, Israel announced Friday that it had killed a senior Hamas commander in a strike on the Lebanese coastal city of Sidon. The military identified the target as Hassan Farhat, a Hamas commander in western Lebanon, saying he had orchestrated multiple attacks, including one in February that killed an Israeli soldier.

As part of its renewed offensive, Israeli forces have expanded a buffer zone within Gaza, recaptured sections of the Netzarim corridor, and effectively split northern and southern Gaza.

According to the US-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), more than 300 airstrikes were recorded in just 10 days at the end of March — nearly 10 times the number seen in February.

The conflict began when Hamas-led fighters launched a surprise assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people — most of them civilians — and taking 251 hostages. Most hostages have since been released through ceasefire deals, though Israel has also rescued a handful and recovered numerous bodies.

Gaza's Health Ministry reports that over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, but says more than half of the dead were women and children. Israel claims to have killed about 20,000 fighters, though it has not provided supporting evidence.

The war has devastated Gaza, leaving much of the territory in ruins and displacing up to 90% of its population at the height of the conflict.