Israeli Airstrikes Claim 12 Lives in Gaza, Including Children and Pregnant Woman
Hospital authorities in Gaza have confirmed that at least 12 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Sunday. The casualties included a pregnant woman, two boys, and eight police officers, according to officials at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, which received the bodies.
Residential Strike in Nuseirat Refugee Camp
A morning strike on a residential property in the Nuseirat urban refugee camp in central Gaza resulted in the deaths of four individuals. The victims were a couple in their thirties, their 10-year-old son, and a 15-year-old neighbour. The woman was reportedly pregnant with twins, as confirmed by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
Mahmoud al-Muhtaseb, a neighbour, described the suddenness of the attack, stating: "We were sleeping and got up to the strike of a missile. The strike was strong," adding, "There was no prior warning." This incident highlights the ongoing violence affecting civilian areas despite ceasefire efforts.
Police Vehicle Targeted in Zawaida
Later on Sunday afternoon, a separate Israeli strike targeted a police vehicle on the Salah al-Din route at the entrance to the central town of Zawaida. This attack killed eight police officers, including Colonel Iyad Ab Yousef, a senior police official in central Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Interior Ministry.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital reported that 14 others were wounded in the strikes. The Israeli military stated it struck a Hamas militant in response to an earlier incident where a militant opened fire at troops, though no further details were provided.
Ceasefire Fails to Halt Killings
Sunday's deaths mark the latest fatalities among Palestinians in the coastal enclave since a ceasefire deal attempted to halt a more than two-year war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. While the heaviest fighting has subsided, the ceasefire has still seen almost daily Israeli fire.
Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently fire on Palestinians near military-held zones, killing more than 650 Palestinians since the ceasefire, according to Gaza health officials. Israel claims it responds to violations of the ceasefire or targets wanted militants, but about half of those killed have been women and children, as reported by the Gaza Health Ministry.
Broader Context of the Conflict
The war, triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has resulted in over 72,200 Palestinian deaths. The militant attack killed over 1,200 people and took more than 250 others hostage. The Gaza Health Ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records considered generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts, though it does not distinguish between civilians and militants.
Militants have continued shooting attacks on troops, with Israel stating its strikes are in response to these and other violations. Since the ceasefire, four Israeli soldiers have been killed.
Rafah Crossing Reopening Announced
In a separate development, Israel announced it will allow the reopening of Gaza's Rafah crossing with Egypt starting Wednesday after a more than two-week hiatus. COGAT, the Israeli military body coordinating aid to Gaza, stated the crossing will resume operations with "limited" passenger traffic in both directions, but no cargo will be allowed.
Procedures will mirror those before the crossing closed after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran on February 28, triggering an expanding regional war. Since its opening earlier this year, Israel permitted a limited evacuation of patients and wounded people for treatment outside Gaza—a fraction of the more than 20,000 requiring medical evacuations, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
Some Palestinians treated in Egypt during the war were allowed to return to the strip, with some returnees reporting abuses by Israeli troops once they crossed the Palestinian gate of the crossing.
Role of Hamas Police Force
Hamas oversees a police force that maintained public security after seizing power in Gaza in 2007, while also cracking down on dissent. The police largely disappeared during the war as Israeli forces seized large areas and targeted Hamas security forces with airstrikes. However, following the October ceasefire, they have reappeared in Gaza streets and reasserted control in areas not controlled by the Israeli military.
This resurgence underscores the complex security dynamics in the region, as efforts to maintain order intersect with ongoing military actions and ceasefire violations.
