At least 18 killed, 35 wounded in Israeli attack in Gaza

Shafaq News/ At least 18 people were killed and 35 others injured in an Israeli attack on tents housing displaced individuals in Mawasi, Gaza.

The assault marks a significant escalation in violence as Israeli tanks pushed deeper into western Rafah, southern Gaza, targeting the tents of displaced people.

One Israeli armored vehicle was destroyed by an improvised explosive device planted by Hamas.

The Israeli military stated that its forces were conducting "precise, intelligence-based" operations in the Rafah area, engaging in close-quarter combat and discovering tunnels used by Palestinian fighters.

In addition, reports indicate that at least 10 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike in the al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City. Another 17 people were injured in the attack.

The intensity of shelling has notably increased in recent days, especially in northern Gaza and Gaza City, with Israeli forces targeting residential houses and blocks. Among the casualties, eight people, including five municipal workers, were killed while performing their duties at the Gaza City municipality headquarters. In another strike, seven individuals, including three children and one woman, were killed in the Zeitoun neighbourhood.

Furthermore, the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza has deteriorated severely, with Israeli forces preventing any aid from reaching the area. The lack of food and essential supplies has exacerbated the crisis, leading to a surge in malnutrition cases.

Since the conflict began on October 7, at least 37,400 people have been killed and 85,600 wounded in Gaza.

In the northern occupied West Bank, at least three people were killed when Israeli special forces opened fire on a vehicle in central Qalqilya. The troops also reportedly besieged a building in the city's center.

A Red Crescent official in Qalqilya informed Al-Jazeera that Israeli forces prevented medical crews from reaching the targeted vehicle.

The ongoing violence has claimed the lives of at least 549 Palestinians and injured 5,200 more in the West Bank since October 7, with Israeli forces and settler attacks continuing unabated.