Israeli airstrikes early Tuesday resulted in the deaths of 10 individuals in the Gaza Strip, including four children and two women, as reported by Palestinian officials. Also, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces were said to have killed two people in an airstrike and fatally shot another individual.
Amid increasing calls for a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon from the United States and the broader international community, Israel’s military operations against the Hezbollah group have intensified and now extend beyond the borders of Lebanon, creating a challenging situation. Additionally, the ongoing conflict against Hamas in northern Gaza continues to escalate, contributing to the overall violence in the region.
Since hostilities began between Israel and Hezbollah in 2023, roughly 3,000 lives have been lost, and around 13,500 people have sustained injuries within Lebanon, according to the Health Ministry’s statistics. The nearly year-long military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has reportedly claimed over 43,000 lives, with Palestinian health officials indicating that more than 50% of those killed are women and children. The conflict ignited following an invasion by Palestinian militants into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths—primarily civilians—and the abduction of 250 individuals.
The situation on the ground remains dire:
Israeli airstrikes in Gaza have led to the death of 10 individuals
in the region. In Deir al-Balah, two children and their parents were among those killed when a strike targeted their home in the Tufah neighborhood, as stated by the Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency services. Reports from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah indicated that a separate airstrike on a tent housing a displaced family in the town of Zuweida resulted in the deaths of four individuals, including a mother and her two children. Another strike in Deir al-Balah claimed the lives of two more people, according to local hospital reports.
The Israeli military maintains that their operations focus on combatants, asserting that militants use civilian areas for cover. They typically refrain from commenting on specific incidents, particularly those resulting in civilian casualties. The hostilities began after militants from Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking approximately 250 hostages, with around 100 of them still believed to be in Gaza, many of whom are thought to be dead.
On the other side of the conflict, Israeli forces have reportedly killed three Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on the same day. Two individuals lost their lives in an airstrike near Jenin—an area known for recurrent violence between Israelis and Palestinians—while a third individual was shot in the village of Tamoun, according to reports from the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The Israeli military confirmed that they targeted a militant group in Jenin but did not comment on the shooting incident. Since the outbreak of the war triggered by the Hamas attack on October 7, Israeli forces have engaged in frequent military activities in the West Bank. The Palestinian Health Ministry indicated that at least 767 Palestinians have died in the West Bank during this period, with most identified as militants, though many civilian bystanders and protestors have also been included among the fatalities.
Israeli officials claim that these operations are intended to dismantle Hamas’s presence in the West Bank and to thwart any potential attacks. Since the war began, Palestinians have conducted numerous violent acts against Israelis, including stabbings, shootings, and vehicle ramming incidents. The West Bank was captured by Israel during the 1967 Middle East War, and Palestinians aim for it to be the cornerstone of a future independent state.