At least 29 Palestinians, including children, were killed on Wednesday when an Israeli airstrike hit a multi-story residential building in Shejaia, a neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, according to local health officials. Dozens more were wounded, and many are still believed to be trapped under the rubble.

According to reports, the building was surrounded by tents and homes sheltering displaced people. The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency initially found 23 bodies and later recovered 15 more.

The Israeli military said the strike targeted a senior Hamas commander responsible for planning attacks from Shejaia. It said it used precision weapons and took steps to reduce civilian harm. Saudi-owned Al Arabiya identified the man as Haitham al-Sheikh, commander of Hamas’ Shijaiyah Battalion.

Thousands of residents from Shejaiya fled last week following an Israeli military order to evacuate much of the neighborhood, citing operations to dismantle “terrorist infrastructure.”

However, locals told BBC that the area hit on Wednesday was not included in the evacuation order, which is why many families had stayed behind.

Nine more Palestinians were killed in other Israeli strikes on Wednesday, bringing the day’s death toll in Gaza to 38, according to health officials. 

The strike in Shejaia follows another deadly incident on Sunday in Khan Younis, where an Israeli airstrike hit a tent used by journalists. The attack killed Ahmed Mansour of Palestine Today, his colleague Hilmi Al-Faqawi, and Yousef Al-Khozindar, a father of two who worked with NBC News.

Since Israel resumed attacks on March 18, the Gaza health ministry said nearly 1,500 Palestinians have been killed.

At least 175 journalists have died in Gaza since the war began. The Committee to Protect Journalists said 2024 has been the deadliest year for media workers, with Israel responsible for nearly 70% of those deaths.