The Gaza Media Office said on Thursday that the Israeli military had carried out 34 airstrikes in the past 24 hours, killing 71 people, including the enclave's police chief and his deputy.
Israeli attacks were reported in the affected area, including the so-called al-Mawasi humanitarian aid camp and the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, which has been bombed repeatedly in recent days.
Palestinians have also been killed and wounded in attacks on the Remal and Shujayea areas of Gaza City, as well as the town of az-Zawayda, in the central Gaza Strip.
Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Palestine (UNRWA), said Israel's brutal attack on the southern Gaza al-Mawasi camp is another sign of an end to the war.
“As the year begins, we received reports of another attack on al-Mawasi in which many people were killed, another reminder that there is no place for humanitarian aid other than the safe zone (in Gaza),” he said. “Every day without a ceasefire brings more problems.”
Asked about the death toll on Thursday, an Israeli army spokesman said the army was following international law in fighting in Gaza and that it took “possible measures to minimize harm to civilians”.
Among those killed on Thursday was photographer Hassan al-Qishaoui. At least 217 journalists and TV workers have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023.