Israel's New Year’s Day Airstrikes Kill 17 in Gaza

At least 17 Palestinians, including many children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on New Year's Day, with heavy attacks on the Jabalia and Bureij refugee camps in northern Gaza.

Israeli fighter jets and drones launched airstrikes on Gaza as the New Year arrived, killing 17 Palestinians, including at least 15 in the northern town of Jabalia, where most of the victims were children. Two more were killed in the central Bureij refugee camp.

The Israeli military claims the strikes are aimed at preventing Hamas from regrouping. However, critics argue the ongoing siege is intended to force residents from the northern Gaza areas, creating a “buffer zone” for Israel.

Thousands are now facing displacement amid worsening conditions.

Palestinian families in Bureij are facing new evacuation orders after rockets were fired from the area towards Israeli communities.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces have reportedly blown up residential buildings in Jabalia and the nearby Beit Lahiya.

As families attempt to flee the violence, they are also struggling against severe cold weather. Many displaced Palestinians are living in tents without warm clothing and relying on makeshift heating methods. Floodwaters from days of rain have rendered many tents uninhabitable, causing further suffering.

The Palestinian Civil Defence reports that at least seven people, including six babies, have died from hypothermia in the past week. A field hospital in Khan Younis was also flooded.