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Strip — Witnesses said three Palestinians were killed Saturday in an airstrike that Israel’s military said was targeting a Hamas commander in southern Gaza, less than a day after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to do all it could to prevent death, destruction and any acts of genocide in the besieged territory.
Israel’s military will be under increasing scrutiny since the top United Nations court also asked Israel for a compliance report in a month. The court stopped short of ordering a cease-fire as part of its binding ruling, but its orders were in part a rebuke of Israel’s conduct in its nearly 4-month war against Gaza’s Hamas rulers.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, the main organization aiding Gaza’s population amid the humanitarian disaster, saw more countries suspend its funding following allegations that some Gaza staff members took part in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that sparked the war. Britain, Italy, and Finland joined the United States, Australia, and Canada in putting aid to the agency on hold.
The Israel-Hamas war has killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, destroyed vast swaths of Gaza and displaced nearly 85% of a population of 2.3 million people. The Hamas attack in southern Israel killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and about 250 hostages were taken.
At least 174 Palestinians were killed over the past day, the Health Ministry in Gaza said. The ministry does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its tolls, but has said about two-thirds are women and children. It said the total number of wounded surpassed 64,000.
Israel holds Hamas responsible for civilian casualties, saying the militants embed themselves in the local population. Israel says its air and ground offensive in Gaza has killed more than 9,000 militants.
