GAZA, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Sunday launched intensive airstrikes on neighborhoods in western Gaza City, killing at least seven Palestinians and wounding several others, Palestinian sources said.
Local eyewitnesses told Xinhua that the airstrikes hit Al-Kawthar Tower, the upper floors of Muhanna Tower, and several multi-storey residential buildings. They added that the Israeli military also targeted the "Falasteen" camp for displaced people, which shelters dozens of tents, along with nearby houses and facilities, the Islamic University, the Community College in the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood, and surrounding residential blocks.
Sources from Gaza's health authorities said seven Palestinians were killed in an airstrike on a residential building near Barcelona Park in Tel al-Hawa. Several others were injured, some critically, and taken to hospitals for treatment.
Heavy plumes of smoke rose over destroyed buildings as civil defense teams worked to rescue people from the rubble, video footage on social media showed.
In a press statement, the Israeli army said its fighter jets targeted "sites used by Hamas for military operations and intelligence purposes," stressing that warnings were issued to residents ahead of certain strikes.
The Hamas-run government media office in Gaza accused the Israeli military of carrying out a "systematic bombardment" of residential towers, schools, and civilian institutions aimed at "forcible displacement," and urged the international community to intervene.
The latest attacks come as Israeli forces continue their military campaign in Gaza City, which has been ongoing for days.
Israel says it plans to take over Gaza City, where about a million people had been living and sheltering before the offensive began, as part of its declared aims to dismantle Hamas and release hostages held by the group.
About 300,000 people have fled Gaza City as Israel intensified strikes, Israel's Army Radio reported on Sunday, citing security officials.
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned of deteriorating living and health conditions in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of residents face severe shortages of food, medicine, and shelter amid the prolonged conflict. ■
