BREAKING: ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE BRINGS DEATH TOLL TO 44 IN GAZA

JABALIA — An Israeli airstrike targeted a police station in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 10 people and wounding dozens more, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli military stated they struck what they described as a "command and control centre" operated jointly by Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants. In their statement, Israeli forces claimed the facility was being used to plan and execute attacks against Israeli troops in the area.

"Palestinian militant groups are exploiting civilians and civil properties for military purposes," the Israeli military alleged, an accusation that Hamas and other factions consistently deny.

According to medical sources, two Israeli missiles struck the police station, which was located near a market area, causing significant casualties. The identities of those killed have not yet been confirmed.

The strike in Jabalia was part of a broader day of violence that saw at least 34 other Palestinians killed in separate airstrikes across Gaza, bringing Thursday's death toll to 44, according to local health officials.

In a further blow to Gaza's critically damaged healthcare system, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that Durra Children's Hospital in Gaza City has become non-operational after an Israeli strike hit the upper section of the building on Wednesday. The attack reportedly damaged the intensive care unit and destroyed the facility's solar power panel system, though no casualties were reported. Israeli authorities have not commented on this specific incident.

The Israeli military also announced on Thursday that one soldier was killed during combat operations in northern Gaza, while an officer and a reservist sustained severe injuries.

Gaza's health infrastructure has been devastated during Israel's 18-month military campaign, which began following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. Many hospitals have been rendered inoperable, medical personnel killed, and essential supplies severely depleted.

Since the collapse of a temporary ceasefire on March 18, Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,900 Palestinians, many of them civilians, according to Gaza health authorities. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced as Israel established what it terms a buffer zone within Gaza territory.

Despite diplomatic efforts by Qatar and Egypt, with U.S. support, peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked.

*The conflict, which began with Hamas's attack that killed 1,200 Israelis and saw 251 hostages taken to Gaza, has resulted in more than 51,300 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza health officials.