Death toll rises in Gaza as 6 children found among dead, Israel denies blame
- Health authorities in Gaza said 24 people were killed by an Israeli bombardment on Saturday, including 6 children – at least 200 have been wounded
- But an Israeli government statement denied responsibility for the strike, insisting that a rocket fired by Gaza militants towards Israel had fallen short
The death toll from the latest violence in Gaza has risen to 24, including six children, health authorities in the territory said on Saturday, but Israel denied conducting a new strike that reportedly killed minors.
Gaza’s health ministry blamed “Israeli aggression” for the deaths, that also included “an elderly woman”, and for the 203 people wounded.
But an Israeli government statement denied blame for a strike on Saturday that reportedly killed children, insisting that a rocket fired by Gaza militants towards Israel had fallen short.
“Israeli security forces did not strike in Jabalia in the past few hours. It has been irrefutably proven that this incident was the result of the misfiring of a rocket launched by Islamic Jihad,” it said.
“We have in our possession videos that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that this incident was not the result of an Israel Defence Forces strike.”
Earlier on Saturday, Israel’s military had warned that deadly air strikes against Palestinian militants in Gaza could last a week, as cross-border fire reverberated for a second day in the worst escalation since last year’s war.