The Israeli military intensified its bombardment of the Gaza Strip on Friday night, killing at least 71 Palestinians, mostly women and children, in a series of air strikes that targeted homes and vehicles in the southern towns of Rafah and Khan Younis. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue workers continue to search for survivors under the rubble.
Hundreds of people were also wounded during the attacks, which hit three houses belonging to the Abu Zour, Abu Hatab and Al Qarra families in Khan Younis. The source said that some of the victims were still trapped under the debris and that ambulances were unable to reach them due to the ongoing shelling.
In Rafah, Israeli warplanes struck several cars that were carrying civilians who were trying to flee the area, following an evacuation order issued by the Israeli military earlier on Friday. The order warned of an imminent ground invasion of northern Gaza and urged more than one million residents to leave their homes within 24 hours. However, many Palestinians said they had nowhere to go, as the entire Gaza Strip is under siege and bombardment by Israel.