DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — On Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes targeted a residential building in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, leaving at least 23 dead, according to Gaza’s health officials. Among the deceased were eight women and eight children. The Health Ministry of the territory confirmed these numbers.
The strike severely damaged a four-story building in Gaza City’s Shijaiyah neighborhood. Emergency service teams from the Health Ministry were seen sifting through rubble, searching for additional victims, while civil defense units reported collateral damage to surrounding structures.
The Israeli military announced the operation was aimed at a senior Hamas figure allegedly linked to attacks originating in Shijaiyah, yet further details were not disclosed. The military faults Hamas for civilian casualties, accusing the group of embedding itself within densely populated areas.
As tensions escalate, Israel has called for extensive evacuations in parts of Gaza, including Shijaiyah. Meanwhile, a blockade has choked off essential resources like food, fuel, and humanitarian aid, leaving civilians in dire conditions. The Israeli government plans to take over significant regions of Gaza and create a security corridor.
The U.N. has voiced concerns over the delivery of humanitarian aid, citing that the Israeli military obstructed the movement of aid supplies within Gaza more than two-thirds of the time in attempts made since the ceasefire concluded. U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stressed that getting essential supplies to Palestinians is proving increasingly difficult.
Earlier in the week, Hamas responded by launching one of the most intense rocket attacks, firing ten rockets towards regions in southern Israel since the latest ceasefire ended.
Conflict renewed last month when Israel resumed its military campaign against Hamas after an eight-week hold. The ceasefire had previously offered a reprieve to Gaza’s residents and enabled humanitarian assistance, as well as facilitating the release of 25 Israeli hostages, in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. Attempts to negotiate a lasting truce and pave the way for peace talks have been unsuccessful, with Israeli leaders demanding Hamas’s complete defeat before any hostages are released.
This ongoing conflict, sparked by Hamas’s attacks on October 7, 2023, has been one of the most lethal episodes in the history of Israeli-Palestinian relations, triggering a humanitarian crisis in already struggling Gaza, and creating tensions across the wider region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently visited Washington for discussions with President Donald Trump. Despite expressions of concern for captive individuals, no substantial developments regarding a ceasefire were unveiled. President Trump’s postwar plans for Gaza, suggesting a takeover and relocation, have alarmed Middle East allies, who find any initiative involving forced or voluntary population transfer unacceptable.
In the meantime, Netanyahu faces demands from his far-right coalition to continue military operations until Hamas is neutralized, a goal that remains elusive, halfway into the prolonged hostilities.
On the international front, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that France could move towards recognizing a Palestinian state, targeting implementation by mid-next year, aligning with a planned international conference on a two-state solution co-hosted with Saudi Arabia.
The violence has resulted in over 50,000 Palestinian fatalities in Gaza, with the majority being women and children, according to the local Health Ministry. Meanwhile, the initial October 7 attack by Hamas resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths, largely among civilians, with several hostages also being taken, many of whom have been released through truce agreements.