Israeli airstrikes across the besieged Gaza Strip killed 30 Palestinians overnight Wednesday and Thursday, including a family of eight, bringing the total death toll to 81.

Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a car in the northern Gaza strip killing three Palestinians. A medical official confirmed that the remains of the victims were taken to Kamal Udwan Hospital.

Two of the men were identified as Mahmoud Waloud and Hazim Balousha.

Ismail Abu Jami, 19, was killed in a strike on Khan Younis and Abdullah Ramadan Abu Ghazal, five, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beit Lahiya, Gaza health ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said.

Israeli warplanes also targeted a residential house in al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, with no injuries reported.

In the southern Gaza Strip, an Israeli missile hit a residential building in Rafah. Three men were injured in a car traveling near the building.

Earlier, an airstrike hit a car in al-Nafaq street in Gaza City, killing three and injuring four.

Bahaa Abu al-Leil, 35, Wisam Qandil and Amir al-Fayoumi were identified as the victims. Islamic Jihad said in a statement that the men were fighters with the al-Quds Brigades.

Early Thursday, Israeli warplanes targeted a building in Khan Younis, killing eight members of the al-Hajj family. Over 30 people were injured in the strike.

Most of the victims were children, al-Qidra said, adding that Israeli forces bombed the building without a warning or asking them to evacuate.

Tariq al-Hajj, Najla al-Hajj, Aminah al-Hajj, Saad al-Hajj, Omar al-Hajj, Aminah al-Hajj, and Basimah al-Hajj, 57, were named as the victims.

Earlier, nine Palestinians were killed and at least 10 injured when Israel targeted Waqt al-Marah coffee shop on a Khan Younis beach.

Locals said dozens of people were watching the World Cup semi-final game when Israel fired a missile at the crowd.

Muhammad Khalid Qannan, his brother Ibrahim, Hamdi Kamil Sawali, Suleiman al-Astal, Ahmad al-Astal, Mousa al-Astal and Muhammad al-Aqqad were identified as some of the victims.

Muhammad Ihsan Farawneh, 18, was found dead on Thursday under the rubble of the cafe.

Another airstrike in the al-Zawayda village in central Gaza killed four members of the Shalat family; a couple and two children.

Late Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike killed Hamdi Shihab, who worked as a driver for local news agency Media 24.

The car had ‘TV’ clearly marked in red paint on the bonnet of the vehicle.

Early on Thursday the Israeli military said that during the course of the preceding day, “at least 82 rockets hit Israel” and 21 were intercepted.

The Israeli army said it launched raids on “322 targets” overnight, taking the total number of Hamas targets hit to 750.

The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on the crisis from 10:00 a.m., with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon due to give the latest about the situation on the ground, followed by closed-door consultations between the Council’s 15 member states.

The meeting follows a request by Arab envoys.

Ban called the new wave of violence “one of the most critical tests the region has faced in recent years”.

“Gaza is on a knife edge. The deteriorating situation is leading to a downward spiral which could quickly get beyond anyone’s control,” he said.

“The risk of violence expanding further still is real. Gaza, and the region as a whole, cannot afford another full-blown war.”

(Ma’an – www.maannews.net)