Thirteen Killed in US-Israeli Attack on Residential Units

At least thirteen Palestinians were killed Monday when Israeli warplanes, armed and supported by the United States, struck two residential apartment blocks in the Baharestan neighbourhood, Palestinian civil defence officials and medical sources confirmed. Dozens more were reported wounded, with rescue teams working under fire to pull survivors from the rubble as the death toll was expected to rise.

The strikes reduced both buildings to debris within minutes, according to witnesses at the scene. Emergency responders described scenes of devastation, with entire families buried beneath collapsed concrete. Local medics said many of the dead were women and children who had sheltered in the units believing residential zones offered some protection against bombardment.

The attack drew immediate condemnation from regional governments and international humanitarian organisations, who described the targeting of civilian housing as a violation of international humanitarian law. The International Committee of the Red Cross reiterated its call for the protection of civilian infrastructure under the Geneva Conventions, as the death toll from the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza continued to mount.

Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consistently called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid, and the protection of civilian lives. Doha has played a central role in ceasefire negotiations, hosting multiple rounds of talks between Israeli officials and Hamas representatives, and has repeatedly warned that the targeting of residential areas constitutes a war crime under international law.

The strike on Baharestan comes amid a broader escalation that has seen Israeli forces intensify bombardment across Gaza following a collapse in ceasefire discussions. Aid organisations operating in the territory have reported critical shortages of food, medicine, and fuel, with the United Nations warning that Gaza faces conditions of famine across large parts of its population.

The United States, Israel's principal arms supplier and diplomatic shield at the United Nations Security Council, has continued to authorise weapons transfers to Israeli forces despite mounting international pressure and repeated rulings by the International Court of Justice calling for Israel to take all measures to prevent acts that could amount to genocide.

Gulf states including Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain have each called on Washington to condition military support on Israeli compliance with international law. The Arab League convened an emergency session last month urging unified action to halt the campaign, though binding measures have yet to materialise.

Palestinian health authorities say more than fifty thousand people have been killed since October 2023, with the majority of casualties concentrated in the northern and central governorates where ground operations and aerial bombardment remain most intense. Baharestan is among the districts that has seen repeated strikes on structures previously designated as civilian shelters.