Aerial attack results in 25 fatalities in southern Gaza amid Israeli operations closing medical centers in Gaza City
An Israeli airstrike on a school-turned-shelter in southern Gaza killed at least 25 people, including seven women and children, according to Palestinian officials. The strike, which occurred on Tuesday afternoon, targeted tents housing displaced families outside a school in Abassan, east of Khan Younis. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the airstrike aimed at a Hamas militant involved in the October 7th massacre, and they are investigating reports of civilian casualties.
Witnesses reported that around 3,000 people were in the area during the attack, and there was no prior warning. This incident follows the IDF’s recent order for a mass evacuation of southern Gaza. Many Palestinians had relocated to Khan Younis, despite its recent devastation, to escape violence in Rafah. Concurrently, other parts of Gaza, including central Gaza City, faced increased airstrikes, with reports of helicopter attacks, explosions, and gun battles. The IDF expanded its offensive in the Shuja’iya neighborhood, where militants had regrouped.
Ismail Al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas-run Gaza government media office, reported that Israeli strikes in central Gaza killed 60 Palestinians and injured dozens on Tuesday. The Israeli military ordered evacuations in several Gaza City districts, and the Palestinian Red Crescent received numerous distress calls but could not respond due to the heavy bombing.
On Wednesday, the IDF announced the death of an Israeli soldier in central Gaza, where close-quarter combat with militants was ongoing. The recent airstrikes are some of the most intense since the conflict began on October 7, after Hamas attacked southern Israel. The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s armed wing, described the current fighting as the most intense in months.
Meanwhile, international mediation efforts for a ceasefire have progressed. Egypt, Qatar, and the US have led these efforts, with talks set to continue in Doha and Cairo. Despite a significant concession from Hamas, dropping its demand for a complete ceasefire before negotiations, the group’s political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, warned that the latest violence could derail the peace talks. Hamas has also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to sabotage the negotiations.