Gaza strikes, recovery efforts and reconstruction plans unfold amid continuing war

Six-year-old Raseel al-Balawi has undergone more than 20 operations since she was wounded in late July at a tent in Gaza’s al-Mawasi camp, the BBC reported. Witnesses said an Israeli helicopter struck the tent, while the Israeli military said it had no record of the attack and regretted any harm to civilians. The BBC said doctors were repeatedly operating to control infections in her wounds as bombardment continued.

In Gaza City, Palestinians buried remains recovered nearly three years after Israeli strikes destroyed the seven-storey Al Taj 3 building and nearby homes in the Yarmouk Square area. Al Jazeera reported that 105 people were buried Thursday at Sheikh Radwan cemetery. A Gaza civil defence official said crews had been unable to reach the bodies after the October 25, 2023 attack.

Separately, Egyptian contractors entered eastern Rafah to conduct engineering surveys for a planned “Green Rafah” neighborhood, according to Israel National News, citing Army Radio. The report said the Israeli military coordinated and escorted the work. The United Arab Emirates-funded project is intended to accommodate tens of thousands of Palestinians in an area outside Hamas control.

The BBC is also reviewing whether 53 people with alleged ties to Hamas or other armed groups were improperly included in BBC Arabic’s list of journalists killed during the war, the Jerusalem Post reported, citing the Telegraph. Meanwhile, the Guardian defended its documentary *NAZA* against Israeli military claims of substantial errors, saying its investigation drew on more than 100 people familiar with Israeli targeting systems. The military said its rules prohibit deliberately targeting civilians and that officers make final strike decisions.