At least 19 Palestinian civilians were killed and dozens more wounded early Saturday as Israeli occupation forces launched a fresh wave of airstrikes targeting homes and displacement tents in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.

According to local sources, the bombing struck several densely populated civilian areas, compounding the already dire humanitarian catastrophe in the besieged enclave. In one of the deadliest incidents, Israeli warplanes bombed the home of the Al-Bayram family in Khan Yunis refugee camp, killing 11 members of the family on the spot.

Elsewhere in the city, a Palestinian man was killed and his wife and two sons wounded when their tent was struck along Complex Street. In the nearby Al-Mahatta area, Israeli missiles hit a makeshift shelter housing displaced persons, killing another civilian and injuring several others.

Tragedy deepened when a 4-month-old baby, Hassan Abd Toman, was killed in an airstrike on a tent in the Asdaa area, as his family sought safety from previous bombardments. In a separate attack, an Israeli drone targeted the home of the Abu Hajras family in Khan Yunis, killing pregnant woman Nadine Abu Lahia and wounding another civilian.

The death toll continued to climb after four more civilians were confirmed dead in the Israeli strike on the Za’rab family home in the Al-Batn Al-Sameen area. Rescue teams are still working to retrieve people buried under the rubble.

In Rafah, civil defense and ambulance teams recovered the decomposing body of another Palestinian martyr from the beach, another reminder of the brutality and reach of the Israeli onslaught.

Since the beginning of Israel’s genocidal campaign on October 7, 2023, more than 170,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured, the overwhelming majority of them women and children. Over 11,000 remain missing beneath the rubble of flattened neighborhoods, and Gaza’s infrastructure lies in ruins amid mass displacement, famine, and a collapse of essential services.

Human rights organizations and international observers continue to sound the alarm over Israel’s blatant targeting of civilians, which constitutes war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law. Despite mounting evidence and widespread global outrage, Israel's assault on Gaza continues unabated. (ILKHA)