Israeli strike ignites fire in Gaza displacement camp, burns tents

An Israeli airstrike on a building in western Gaza City ignited a fire that spread to nearby tents sheltering displaced families Wednesday evening, leaving dozens of families homeless, according to Palestinian officials.

An Anadolu correspondent said Israeli warplanes carried out several strikes on a government building in the Ansar area after issuing an evacuation warning. The blast triggered a fire that spread to tents housing displaced people in the surrounding area.

The tents were sheltering Palestinian families who had fled their homes during Israel's two-year military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

Gaza's Civil Defense said its firefighting teams managed to bring the blaze under control after it erupted in the displacement tents following the strike on the nearby building.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

About 1.9 million people -- out of Gaza's population of 2.4 million -- are currently displaced and living in harsh conditions in worn-out tents lacking basic necessities after their homes were destroyed during the war.

Despite the ceasefire agreement, living conditions in the enclave have not significantly improved, as Israel has failed to fully implement commitments under the deal to allow the entry of agreed quantities of food, humanitarian and medical aid, as well as shelter materials such as tents and mobile housing units.

Israeli forces have continued what Palestinians describe as daily violations of the ceasefire through shelling and gunfire, which have killed 650 Palestinians and injured 1,732 others since the agreement came into effect.

With US backing, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, that lasted two years and resulted in more than 72,000 Palestinians killed and nearly 172,000 injured, while causing widespread destruction that affected about 90% of civilian infrastructure in the territory.