At least 30 Palestinians were killed on Sunday in a series of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, according to local health officials. The casualties included a senior civil defense official and a journalist, as strikes targeted various locations including Khan Younis in the south, Jabalia in the north, and Nuseirat in central Gaza.
In Jabalia, a strike on the home of journalist Hassan Majdi Abu Warda resulted in his death along with several family members. In Nuseirat, Ashraf Abu Nar, a high-ranking official in Gaza’s civil emergency services, and his wife were killed when their home was hit. The Gaza government media office reported that Abu Warda’s death brought the total number of journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023 to 220.
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Israel’s military stated that Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir visited troops in Khan Younis on the same day, assuring them that the war was not indefinite and claiming Hamas had lost most of its command infrastructure. However, the statement did not directly address the airstrikes that caused Sunday’s casualties.
Separately, the Israeli military, in conjunction with the Shin Bet security agency, claimed without providing evidence that a strike on Fahmi al-Jarjawi school — used as a shelter for displaced civilians — was targeting a Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad command center. Despite the deaths of over 30 people in the attack, the military insisted that efforts were made to minimize civilian harm. The strike added to the growing list of bombings on civilian shelters since the conflict began in 2023.
Later, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed that two of its staff members, Ibrahim Eid and Ahmad Abu Hilal, were killed in a strike on a house in Khan Younis. The ICRC condemned the high civilian toll and reiterated its call for a ceasefire and the protection of humanitarian personnel and civilians.
The Gaza media office reported that Israeli forces now control roughly 77% of the territory, either through military presence or by forcing evacuations with continuous airstrikes. Meanwhile, Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters claimed they carried out multiple attacks using explosives and anti-tank weapons against Israeli troops across the strip.
Israel began its offensive in Gaza following a deadly Hamas-led incursion on October 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and the abduction of 251 hostages. Since then, over 53,900 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza health officials, with humanitarian agencies warning of widespread malnutrition and ongoing devastation in the region.
