DUBAI, November 15. /TASS/. At least three Palestinians, including a child and a woman, were killed in Israeli airstrikes on central areas of the Gaza Strip, Qatar’s Al Jazeera TV channel reported.

The strikes targeted several districts in Deir al-Balah, a city in the central part of the enclave. The number of injured has not been specified.

Earlier, reports said an Israeli Air Force helicopter carried out a series of missile strikes on residential neighborhoods in Deir al-Balah.

Tensions in the Middle East have risen sharply since October 7, 2023 when Hamas militants crossed into Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of border areas and taking hostages. In response, Israel launched a military operation in Gaza to destroy Hamas’s military and political infrastructure and secure the release of hostages.