Israeli airstrike kills 6 Palestinians in northern Gaza: sources

GAZA, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) — At least six Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a gathering near a residential area in the northern Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian sources on Wednesday.
Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that an Israeli aircraft targeted a Palestinian gathering near the Sheikh Zayed residential area in Beit Lahia. Medical sources reported that the airstrike killed six people and wounded dozens of others.
Israel has been conducting a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza in retaliation for a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage.
Also on Wednesday, Hamas released a video demanding a halt to Israeli “aggression” in exchange for the release of hostages held in Gaza. “The aggression stops, and the prisoners return alive,” Hamas said in the 28-second video.
The nearly 11 months of Israeli assaults have resulted in 40,861 Palestinian deaths and 94,398 injuries in the enclave, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Wednesday. ■