Israeli airstrikes killed at least 21 more Palestinians on Thursday, deepening the destruction sweeping the Gaza Strip as a conflict with Hamas that has now reached its eighth day shows no sign of easing. The strikes had hit densely populated neighborhoods that were already reeling from large-scale destruction, sending families once again scurrying away in search of safety that still feels out of reach.
Health officials in Gaza reported the mounting toll of the dead since hostilities rose, most of them civilians, including women and children. Hospitals, overwhelmed by the volume of injured victims have been trying to get a grip on them numbers. Health workers struggle without crucial supplies, and power outages along with damaged infrastructure make treatment even harder.
Witnesses said the bombing was relentless. Whole blocks crumbled to rubble in minutes and survivors extricated neighbors using their hands. Parents had to carry their injured children through the cover of dust and chaos, ambulances raced back and forth under a constant threat of renewed strikes.
