Gaza鈥檚 civil defence agency said Israeli strikes killed at least 29 people Friday in the Palestinian territory, devastated by war and under a total Israeli aid blockade for two months.
Israel resumed its military campaign in the Gaza Strip on March 18 after the collapse of a ceasefire that had largely halted the fighting.
Nine people were killed when an Israeli air strike hit a home in Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, civil defence official Mohammed al-Mughayyir said.
Another six people were killed in a separate strike targeting the Al-Masri family home in the northern city of Beit Lahia, he added.
In Gaza City, a strike on a community kitchen claimed the lives of six more, the civil defence agency reported.
Elsewhere across the Gaza Strip, at least eight additional fatalities were reported in similar attacks, the agency said.
Since Israel resumed its campaign in Gaza, at least 2,326 people have been killed, bringing the overall death toll since the war broke out to 52,418, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
The war erupted after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
That attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Militants also abducted 251 people, 58 of whom are still being held in Gaza, including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel says its renewed military campaign aims to force Hamas to free the remaining captives.
Israel halted aid deliveries to Gaza on March 2, days before the collapse of the ceasefire which had come into effect on January 19.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned of the humanitarian catastrophe on the ground, with famine again looming.
On Friday, the International Committee of the Red Cross warned that the humanitarian response in Gaza was on the 鈥榲erge of total collapse鈥�.
鈥楾his situation must not 鈥� and cannot 鈥� be allowed to escalate further,鈥� Pascal Hundt, ICRC deputy director of Operations said in a statement.
Meanwhile, A group of activists organising an aid boat for Gaza said it was attacked on Friday by drones in international waters off Malta as they headed towards the Palestinian territory, accusing Israel of attacking the vessel.
The Maltese government said it responded to a distress call from the vessel and offered immediate support.
It said all crew members were safe, while making no mention of an alleged attack.
鈥楢t 00:23 Maltese time (2223 GMT on Thursday), the Conscience, a Freedom Flotilla Coalition ship came under direct attack in international waters,鈥� the activist group said in a statement.
鈥楢rmed drones attacked the front of an unarmed civilian vessel twice, causing a fire and a substantial breach in the hull,鈥� it added, blaming Israel.
鈥業sraeli ambassadors must be summoned and answer to violations of international law, including the on-going blockade and the bombing of our civilian vessel in international waters.鈥�
The Israeli military did not provide an immediate response when contacted by AFP.
The strike, the activists said, appeared to target the boat鈥檚 generator.
Following the distress call, the Malta Vessel Traffic Services body dispatched a tugboat and offered support.
鈥楾he tug arrived on scene and began firefighting operations. By 0128 hrs, the fire was reported under control,鈥� the Maltese statement said.