Strikes on Gaza kill at least 60 people, local officials say as criticism against Israel mounts

DEIR AL-BALAH Gaza Strip AP Israeli strikes pounded Gaza overnight and into Tuesday hitting a family home and a school-turned-shelter and killing at least people Palestinian wellness representatives revealed as Israel pressed its war against Hamas despite mounting international condemnation Israel launched another major offensive in the territory in latest days saying it aims to return dozens of hostages held by Hamas and destroy the militant group More than people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the latest onslaught Israel says it aims to seize Gaza and hold on to territory there displace hundreds of thousands of people and secure aid distribution As the new offensive ramps up Israel agreed to allow a limited amount of aid into the war-ravaged territory after a month blockade that prevented the entry of food medicine and fuel among other goods The blockade prompted warnings from food experts of a liability of famine Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained he made the decision to let in minimal aid after pressure from allies who he declared couldn t help Israel so long as images of hunger were coming out of Gaza Criticism of Israel s conduct intensified Monday when allies Canada France and the United Kingdom threatened concrete actions against the country including sanctions and called on Israel to stop its egregious new military actions in Gaza Netanyahu rejected the criticism saying it was a huge prize for Hamas Oct attack that would invite more such violence So far just a handful of trucks have been sent into Gaza which U N agencies say is nowhere near enough to meet the massive need Particular trucks a day had entered during a ceasefire earlier this year Israeli politician criticizes killing babies as a hobby Criticism against Israel s conduct in Gaza came also from inside the country with a leader of Israel s center-left politics saying on Tuesday that Israel was becoming an outcast among nations because of the authorities s approach to the war A sane country doesn t engage in fighting against civilians doesn t kill babies as a hobby and doesn t set for itself the goals of expelling a population Yair Golan a retired general and leader of the opposition Democrats party described Reshet Bet radio His comments were rare criticism from within Israel of its wartime conduct in Gaza A large number of Israelis have criticized Netanyahu throughout the war but that has been mostly limited to what opponents argue are his political motives to continue the war Criticism like Golan s over the war s toll on Palestinian civilians has been almost unheard Netanyahu swiftly slammed Golan s remarks calling them wild incitement against Israeli soldiers and accusing Golan of echoing disgraceful antisemitic blood libels against the country Golan who donned his uniform during Hamas attack to join the fight against the raiding militants previously sparked an uproar when as deputy military chief of staff in he likened the atmosphere in Israel to that of Nazi-era Germany Strikes pound Gaza Over modern days strikes have pounded areas across Gaza and Israel has issued evacuation orders for Gaza s second-largest city Khan Younis which endured a previous offensive that left vast destruction In the latest strikes two in northern Gaza hit a family home and a school-turned-shelter killing at least people more than half of them women and children according to the Gaza Soundness Ministry A strike in the central city of Deir al-Balah killed people and another in the nearby built-up Nuseirat refugee camp killed according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital Two strikes in the southern city of Khan Younis killed people according to Nasser Hospital There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military which says it only targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian deaths because the group operates in densely populated areas The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel killing specific people mostly civilians and abducting others The militants are still holding captives around a third held to be alive after bulk of the rest were returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals Israel s retaliatory offensive which has destroyed large swaths of Gaza has killed more than Palestinians mostly women and children according to Gaza s Medical Ministry which doesn t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count