10:51 am ET, March 16, 2024
An Israeli attack on a residential compound in central Gaza killed 37 people, the health ministry said
From CNN's Karim Khader, Abeer Salman and Tim Lister
AFP/Getty Images
An Israeli airstrike on a residential block in central Gaza on Friday night killed 37 people, including children and pregnant women, the Gaza Health Ministry said.
CNN could not verify the death toll from the incident west of the Nuseirat camp, but video from the scene showed ambulance crews carrying bodies wrapped in blankets, as well as extensive destruction.
CNN also obtained video of the dead and injured, including the bodies of several children, being brought to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
According to medical staff, 35 of the 37 victims belonged to the same family.
Nusirat has seen several strikes in recent days.
CNN obtained video of another strike in Nuseirat on Friday night that killed seven people.
Israel Defense Forces on Saturday released video of an attack on Friday, saying “many Hamas terrorists” were living in the area.
Eyewitnesses said the overnight strike also took place in northern Gaza's Deir al-Balah area.
Residents were warned by phone from the Israel Defense Forces to leave within 15 minutes, two people said.
Abdullah Maqbara, a young man, told CNN that people fled with nothing after being warned to “clear the entire block in 15 minutes” and “clear the 10 houses around Nani Abu Baraka's house.”
After 15 minutes, the Israelis told them that they “didn't want to see anyone on the street”: “Suddenly two missiles fell on the whole block and completely destroyed seven buildings, nothing was spared.”
Subi Baraka told CNN, “We evacuated the area and came back… It's like a full-scale earthquake as you can see.”
CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment on the strikes.
Correction: This post has been corrected to reflect that there were multiple strikes in multiple locations and to clarify where the precautions were taken.
