GAZA/JERUSALEM, March 19 (Xinhua) -- At least 16 Palestinians were killed and over 30 wounded in an Israeli airstrike that struck a crowd of mourners in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday evening, according to Gaza health authorities.

The strike hit the Salatin area of Beit Lahia during a gathering to mourn victims of earlier Israeli attacks, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported. Israel's military did not immediately comment on the incident.

The attack came amid renewed Israeli military operations in Gaza, which officials say target Hamas militants. Gaza health authorities reported over 430 Palestinian deaths since Tuesday, when Israel resumed strikes, ending a weeks-long ceasefire that began on Jan. 19. Among the dead are more than 170 children and 80 women, according to Gaza officials.

Israel's military said the operations aim to "eliminate Hamas threats" and would continue "until strategic objectives are achieved."

Palestinian health officials warned that hospitals are overwhelmed, with emergency services struggling to treat the influx of wounded.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the airstrikes over the past two days were "only the first step." "What follows will be far more severe, and you will pay the full price," he said in a Hebrew video with Arabic captions released by his office.

"Return the hostages and remove Hamas -- the alternative is total destruction and devastation," he warned.

Also on Wednesday, the Hamas-run media office said 2 million residents in Gaza face "complete food insecurity" and an "unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe" due to Israel's blockade and closed border crossings.

It warned that dozens of bakeries have shuttered, severely limiting bread supplies, and accused Israel of depriving Gaza of "the most basic necessities of life."

The office urged immediate action to reopen crossings, stating that continued closures risk "famine for hundreds of thousands." Enditem

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