GAZA/DAMASCUS/BAGHDAD - At least 24 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes in central and southern Gaza on Tuesday, Palestinian sources said.

Israeli warplanes hit a four-story residential building in the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, killing 16 people, according to Gaza's Civil Defense Authority.

Palestinian security sources reported that the camp had been under heavy air and artillery bombardment since overnight, with limited advances by Israeli vehicles on its eastern edges. They added that the strikes were accompanied by gunfire from Israeli vehicles and drones in the camp's streets and alleys.

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In a separate incident, eight people were killed and dozens injured when an Israeli drone targeted a gathering of Palestinians at a water-filling station north of Rafah in southern Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed ongoing operations in Gaza, stating that troops were dismantling militant infrastructure and killing fighters in targeted raids. The IDF said they have conducted operations in Bureij and were continuing similar actions in the Rafah area.

Also on Tuesday, the Hamas-run health authorities warned in a statement that hospitals in Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip may soon cease operations due to a lack of fuel.

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They urged international and humanitarian organizations to act swiftly to deliver the necessary fuel to power generators at healthcare facilities. They also emphasized the need for serious protection of health facilities, particularly in the North Gaza Governorate.

Israel's large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza followed the militant group's attack on Oct 7, 2023, on southern Israel, which left about 1,200 people dead and around 250 taken hostage.

Gaza health authorities said the Palestinian death toll from Israeli attacks has reached 41,965 as of Tuesday.  

7 killed in Damascus

In Syria, an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential building in the densely populated Mazzeh neighborhood of Damascus on Tuesday night, killing seven civilians, including women and children, and injuring 11 others, according to a statement by the Syrian Defense Ministry.

The attack, which occurred at approximately 8:15 pm local time (1715 GMT), involved three missiles launched from the direction of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, said the statement.

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It added that the strike caused significant damage to the surrounding area with rescue efforts still underway.

A Xinhua reporter at the scene heard the sound of explosions, accompanied by billowing clouds of smoke and the wailing of ambulances.

The airstrike struck a 14-floor building in the Sheikh Sa'ad area, a residential and commercial hub in the heart of Mazzeh.

Three floors in the building were completely damaged, as the three missiles hit each of them. Rescue workers were still searching for survivors and casualties.

In response to the incident, the Syrian Foreign Ministry issued a strong condemnation, calling the attack a "brutal crime" and a "grave violation" of international law.

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"This brutal crime against unarmed civilians is a continuation of the genocide committed by this occupying entity against Palestinians and Lebanese," said the Syrian Foreign Ministry in a statement, emphasizing the need for immediate international measures to prevent Israel from continuing its "pattern of criminal behavior."

It is the first instance of the Sheikh Sa'ad area being directly targeted by an Israeli attack.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a Shi’ite militia group, claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a drone attack on a site in northern Israel.

The group said in a statement that the attack was conducted "in solidarity with the people of Palestine and Lebanon" and pledged to continue targeting "the enemy's strongholds".

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The statement did not provide further details about the targeted site or report any casualties.

Earlier in the day, the group claimed responsibility for launching five attacks with drones and the "al-Arqab upgraded cruise missiles" on five sites in central and northern Israel.

Since the Oct 7 attacks, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has conducted multiple strikes against Israeli and US targets in the region to show support for Palestinians in Gaza.

The group has recently escalated its attacks on Israel as the latter intensified its strikes against Hezbollah across Lebanon.