Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of more than 30 individuals in Gaza, including a tragic toll of women and children, according to local health officials. The strikes overnight into Sunday targeted residential areas in Khan Younis, where ten lives—comprising five men, five women, and five children—were claimed, as confirmed by Nasser Hospital, which received the grim casualties.
The assault continued later on Sunday when an Israeli airstrike struck a tent just outside Nasser Hospital, killing at least two people and injuring six others, including several journalists. Disturbing footage from the scene captured a journalist engulfed in flames following the attack; he has been reported in critical condition.
Meanwhile, the Jabaliya refugee camp witnessed further tragedy as Israeli shelling took the lives of at least four individuals, as reported by Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry. Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah received the bodies of seven victims, including a child and three women, a stark reminder of the mounting civilian toll. In Gaza City, an airstrike that targeted individuals waiting outside a bakery led to further heartache, killing six, including three children.
The current wave of violence follows the end of a ceasefire last month, when Israel recommenced its air and ground offensive in a bid to compel Hamas to accept a new truce and secure the release of remaining hostages. Simultaneously, the Israeli government has enforced a blockade on food, fuel, and humanitarian aid for more than a month, leading to severe shortages. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees remarked, “Stocks are getting low and the situation is becoming desperate,” underlining the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region.
On the military front, reports emerged on Sunday evening of fresh provocations, prompting the Israeli military to order evacuations in several neighbourhoods in Deir al Balah shortly after ten projectiles were fired from Gaza. While the military claim to have intercepted around five of these rockets, Hamas’s military wing took responsibility for the assault. In Israel, police reported a rocket impacted the city of Ashkelon, with minor injuries reported by the Magen David Adom emergency service.
As this turmoil unfolds, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with Donald Trump in the United States to discuss ongoing wartime developments. The two leaders are also expected to address the implications of a new 17% tariff imposed on Israel, part of the former president’s broader economic strategy. “There is a very large queue of leaders who want to do this with respect to their economies. I think it reflects the special personal connection and the special connection between the United States and Israel, which is so vital at this time,” Netanyahu remarked during a recent visit to Hungary.
The war ignited on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants invaded Israel, leading to the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals and the abduction of 251 hostages. To date, 59 hostages remain in captivity in Gaza, with 24 believed to still be alive. The health ministry in Gaza, which operates under Hamas, estimates that Israeli offensives have resulted in the deaths of at least 50,695 Palestinians, while Israel claims to have killed around 20,000 militants amidst ongoing clashes—numbers that highlight the indiscriminate nature of the conflict.