Deadly Israeli strike kills 76 members in one Gaza family, rescue officials say as combat expands in south

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On Saturday, rescue officials reported that an Israeli airstrike had resulted in the tragic death of 76 members of an extended family in Gaza City, marking one of the deadliest incidents in the 12-week Israel-Hamas war. Mahmoud Bassal, spokesperson for Gaza's Civil Defence department, released a partial list of victims, including 16 heads of households from the al-Mughrabi family, comprising women and children.

The strike targeted a building, and among those killed were Issam al-Mughrabi, a longtime employee of the U.N. Development Program, his wife, and their five children. The U.N. chief, Achim Steiner, expressed deep sorrow over the loss, emphasizing that the U.N. and civilians in Gaza should not be targets and called for an end to the ongoing conflict.

The Israel-Hamas war, initiated on October 7, has claimed over 20,000 Palestinian lives and left more than 53,000 wounded, according to Gaza health officials. Israel attributes the high civilian death toll to Hamas's use of residential areas for military purposes and its construction of tunnels beneath urban spaces.

The United Nations Security Council recently adopted a resolution calling for an immediate acceleration of aid deliveries to Gaza, with the United States successfully removing language that would have authorized U.N. inspections of aid entering Gaza. Despite international pressure, Israel continues its military campaign, displacing a significant portion of Gaza's population and causing widespread destruction.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated the need for a humanitarian cease-fire and expressed concern about the obstacles to aid distribution caused by Israel's offensive. He emphasized the importance of addressing the immediate needs of the people in Gaza, calling the situation a "nightmare."

Israel's military offensive, both aerial and ground-based, remains a point of contention, with calls from the international community to scale back operations. The Biden administration has shielded Israel from significant international pressure so far. In response to the U.N. resolution, it is unclear when and how aid deliveries will accelerate, given the current obstacles and Israel's insistence on maintaining control over aid inspections.

Hamas said in a statement that the U.N. resolution should have demanded an immediate halt to Israel's offensive, and it blamed the United States for pushing to empty the resolution of its essence before Friday's Security Council vote. (With inputs from the Associated Press)