At least 40 Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip late Tuesday and early Wednesday morning, despite ongoing efforts to reach a cease-fire.

Local sources confirmed that 13 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a home belonging to the Shahin family in Deir al-Balah, located in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Several others were injured in the attack. In the Nuseirat refugee camp, seven Palestinians were killed in an airstrike targeting the Nassar family's home, while another individual lost their life in a separate strike on the camp.

Further airstrikes in the Bureij refugee camp led to the deaths of five more Palestinians. Eyewitnesses in Gaza City reported that seven people were killed when an airstrike targeted a school sheltering displaced individuals.

In Rafah, southern Gaza, one woman and four children died in an Israeli strike on a home belonging to the Sha'ath family, while two more Palestinians were killed in a drone strike targeting a group of individuals in the Khirbet Al-Adas area.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel's genocidal aggression in Gaza has reportedly resulted in over 46,600 deaths, primarily affecting women and children. This comes despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Internationally, Israel is facing increasing scrutiny, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The country is also under investigation at the International Court of Justice for genocide.

The ongoing violence has intensified global calls for accountability and an end to the hostilities. (ILKHA)