| 29 October 2024 Beit Lahia airstrike | |
|---|---|
| Part of thesiege of North Gaza during theGaza war | |
  Beit Lahia Location within the Gaza Strip | |
| Location | Beit Lahia,Gaza Strip,Palestine |
| Date | 29 October 2024; 12 months ago (2024-10-29) 6:30 a.m. (PSST) |
Attack type | Airstrike |
| Deaths | 55–93+ |
| Injured | Dozens |
| Perpetrator |  Israel Defense Forces |
On 29 October 2024, theIsrael Defense Forces (IDF) conducted an airstrike on a five-story residential building inBeit Lahia innorthern Gaza, killing at least 55 to 93Palestinians, including 25 children, and leaving 40 others missing.[1][2][3]
The IDF, which had been conductingoperations in northern Gaza, said that its attacks were aimed at preventingHamas forces from regrouping. The IDF also accused Hamas of placing themselves among the civilian population, which Hamas denied.[4]
The airstrike occurred at 6:30 a.m. local time.[5] The building was being used to shelter displaced Palestinians. Ismail al-Thawabta, the director-general of Gaza's government Media Office, said that 200 people were inside the building when the attack occurred.[1]
The airstrike caused the building to collapse.[6] According to theGaza Health Ministry, at least 93 people were confirmed killed in the strike, including 25 children, and dozens of others were injured. They also stated that more than half of those killed in the attack were women and children.[7] ThePalestinian Civil Defence said that at least 55 people were killed.[3] Forty other people were reported missing.[2]
An IDF official said the strike was conducted after Israeli soldiers noticed a "spotter" on the building's roof. The official added that the strike had not been planned and that Israeli soldiers were not aware that the building was being used to shelter displaced persons.[6]
The Kamal Adwan Hospital, which wasbesieged by Israeli forces at the time of the airstrike, could not treat the wounded due to a lack of doctors.[2]
Gaza's Media Office condemned the strike, referring to it as a "horrific massacre against civilians, children and women", and demanded that medical teams be sent to northern Gaza.[1]
After the attack, the Municipality of Beit Lahia announced that the town had been declared a "disaster area", saying "[w]e declare that the city is a disaster area due to the Israeli war of extermination and siege, and it has no food, water, hospitals, doctors, services, or communications".[8]
The IDF said in a statement released on the day of the attack that it had killed 40 "terrorists" in the northern Gaza city ofJabalia, and that it "eliminated many terrorists" in central Gaza.[4]
The United States called the bombing a "horrifying incident with a horrifying result".[9] The FrenchForeign Ministry condemned the attack.[10] TheUN Human Rights Office said it was "appalled" by the airstrike and emphasized that "civilians are protected under international humanitarian law."[11]
