Gaza, May 23 (IANS): At least 23 Palestinians were killed in Israeli raids on various areas in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian sources.
The sources said on Wednesday that Israeli forces launched air and artillery strikes on areas across the strip from overnight to this morning, Xinhua news agency reported.
Israeli aircraft targeted a residential house west of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, killing six people and wounding six others, all of whom were taken to hospitals, according to the sources.
They added that the jets bombed another house for displaced people in the town of al-Zawaida in the middle of the strip, killing 10 people.
In addition, Israel's planes attacked homes and agricultural lands in the Al-Zaytoun neighbourhood, south of Gaza City, inflicting two fatalities, said the sources, adding its artillery fire wounded 10 others in the Tal Al-Hawa neighbourhood in the southwest of the city.
Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces bombed the eastern outskirts of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, causing material damage.
Meanwhile, in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, five Palestinians were killed and seven others injured due to Israeli airstrikes and artillery bombardment.
Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that the Israeli army is advancing west in Rafah along the "Philadelphia Corridor" near the border with Egypt.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced the suspension of food distributions in Rafah due to the lack of supplies and security.
UNRWA said via its account on social media platform X that "food distributions in Rafah are currently suspended due to a lack of supplies and insecurity".
It noted that "as a result of the ongoing military operation in eastern Rafah, the UNRWA distribution centre and WFP (World Food Programme) warehouse, both in Rafah, are now inaccessible".
Israel launched a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage.