Israeli strikes kill 120 in Gaza, 15 in Beirut

Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 120 Palestinians over the last 48 hours and hit a hospital on the northern edge of the enclave, wounding medical staff and damaging equipment, Palestinian medics said on Saturday.

At the same time, Israeli forces deepened their incursion and bombardment of the northern edge of the enclave, their main offensive since early last month.

At Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of three medical facilities on the northern edge of Gaza that is barely operational, director Hussam Abu Safiya said the ongoing Israeli bombardment appeared aimed at forcing hospital staff to evacuate — something they have refused to do since the incursion began.

Asked to comment on Abu Safiya’s statement, the Israeli military said that following an initial review it was “not aware of a strike in the area of the Kamal Adwan Hospital”.

Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes in central Beirut on Saturday killed at least 15 people, officials said, as the once-rare strikes in the heart of Lebanon’s capital continued without Israeli warning, and as diplomats scrambled to broker a ceasefire.