By Elis Gjevori – Middle East Eye
Israeli fighter jets bombed the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, killing at least 21 Palestinians, including three children, according to local hospitals.
At least 14 people were killed in Gaza City after Israeli forces shelled the eastern neighbourhoods of Zaytoun and Tuffah at dawn.
Al Jazeera reported that at least two baby girls were among those killed in the attacks.
In the south, the Nasser Medical Complex said an Israeli strike hit tents housing displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis, killing three people, including a child.
The Israeli military said the strikes were in response to a Palestinian shooting at soldiers overnight that seriously wounded an officer.
Middle East Eye could not independently verify the claim.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas or other armed groups in Gaza.
Since the October agreement to end the war on Gaza, Israel has repeatedly violated the ceasefire, carrying out dozens of air strikes and demolitions and opening fire on civilians.
The Israeli army often says its troops have come under attack to justify wide-scale bombing, though it rarely provides evidence to support such claims.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli forces have killed at least 529 people since the ceasefire was announced and wounded around 1,500 others.
The ceasefire was intended to halt the two-year genocide in Gaza, during which Israeli forces killed at least 71,000 Palestinians, wound around 170,000, and destroyed or damaged roughly 90 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure.
Patients denied exit via Rafah crossing
After the attacks on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent said that they were informed that coordination for the travel of patients and wounded through the Rafah crossing had been cancelled.
The Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza was reopened earlier this week on a limited basis for the first time in nearly two years, operating under strict Israeli controls.
Under the new arrangement, 50 Palestinians were expected to return to Gaza daily, while 50 patients – each with two companions – were expected to leave for Egypt.
The Palestinian Red Crescent spokesperson said preparations were under way for a third group of wounded people to leave on Wednesday before the trip was cancelled.
The Israeli military denied that the Rafah crossing had been closed on Wednesday, blaming the delay in departures on the World Health Organization (WHO) for allegedly failing to submit the “required coordination details” for procedural reasons.
It said that once the necessary details are provided, the exit of travellers “will be facilitated”.
There was no immediate comment from WHO.
The UN agency’s spokesperson, Christian Lindmeier, said on Tuesday that it began facilitating the exit of wounded people after the Rafah crossing reopened on Monday.
However, only five patients and seven of their companions were able to leave that day, far below the agreed daily quota.
Lindmeier said more than 18,500 patients are awaiting evacuation, including around 3,000 children. Many are suffering from war-related trauma, while others have chronic illnesses such as cancer and diabetes.
At the agreed rate of 50 patients leaving per day, it would take more than a year to evacuate all 18,500 patients.
“We know that patients have died while waiting for evacuation,” Lindmeier said. “That is horrific when you know that just a few kilometres beyond the border, help is available.”
West Bank killing
Separately, Israeli forces shot and killed a 24-year-old Palestinian man during a raid on the occupied West Bank city of Jericho on Tuesday, Palestinian officials said. Witnesses reported multiple injuries during the incursion.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the man as Saeed Nael Saeed al-Sheikh, saying he died after Israeli troops opened fire during the operation.
Riyad Eid, director of Jericho Governmental Hospital, told Wafa news agency that al-Sheikh suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen, causing severe internal damage.
“The young man, Saeed al-Sheikh, died from a gunshot to the abdomen by the occupation forces, which ruptured his liver,” Eid said.
The Ministry of Health said three other Palestinians were injured, with varying degrees of severity.