7 killed, scores injured in Israeli strikes in Gaza

CAIRO/MADRID — Two Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza on Saturday, killing at least seven people and injuring several others, officials from Gaza's health ministry said.

An airstrike hit a police checkpoint in Bureij camp in the central Gaza Strip early on Saturday, killing at least six, while a second hit Beit Lahiya, killing at least one, the officials said.

It was not immediately clear how many of those killed in the first strike were members of the police force.

The Israeli military said the strike in Bureij was carried out after members of the militant group Hamas approached the yellow line demarcating the half of Gaza occupied by Israel. It did not immediately comment on the strike in Beit Lahiya.

Israel has repeatedly shot at people in areas around the yellow line since the ceasefire deal was struck in October, often accusing militants of trying to cross the line or attack troops.

A series of Israeli strikes has killed dozens of Hamas-led police force members since October, according to medics and police sources. Israeli airstrikes killed at least 25 people in Gaza last week.

Meanwhile, the second flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza was due to set sail on Sunday from Barcelona, Spain, to try to break the Israeli blockade.

About 30 boats planned to leave the Mediterranean port city laden with medical aid and other supplies on the Global Sumud Flotilla, and more vessels are expected to join along the route toward Palestine.

The Israeli military halted the roughly 40 boats mobilized by the same organization in October as they attempted to reach blockaded Gaza, arresting Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and more than 450 other participants.

Israel, which controls all access to the Gaza Strip, denies withholding supplies for its more than 2 million residents. Yet, Palestinians and international aid bodies say supplies reaching the territory are still insufficient, though the ceasefire included guarantees of increased aid.

The World Health Organization has said that even during armed conflicts, states are obligated under international humanitarian law to ensure people are able to receive medical care in safety.

"This is a mission that aims to open a humanitarian corridor so the aid delivery organizations can arrive," Saif Abukeshek, a Palestinian activist and member of the flotilla's organizing committee, told Reuters.

Agencies - Xinhua