Death toll climbs to 33 in Gaza amid some of the deadliest Israeli strikes since ceasefire began
Early Thursday, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis killed five people, bringing the total deaths from attacks over roughly 12 hours to 33. These strikes are among the deadliest since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10.
The escalation followed Israeli claims that its troops came under fire in Khan Younis on Wednesday, though no soldiers were reportedly harmed. Officials said four airstrikes late Wednesday and early Thursday targeted tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis, killing 17 people, including five women and five children, according to Nasser Hospital. In Gaza City, two strikes on a building killed 16 people, including seven children and three women, according to Al-Shifa Hospital. Hamas condemned the attacks as a “shocking massacre” and denied targeting Israeli forces.
At Nasser Hospital, mourners gathered to perform funeral prayers. Among them was Abir Abu Moustapha, who lost her husband and three children, ages 1, 11, and 12, in a strike that destroyed their tent. “My children are gone. What can I say? And my husband, my most precious. May God have mercy on them,” she said.
The fatalities occurred on both sides of a line established under last month’s ceasefire, which divides Gaza into an Israeli-controlled border zone and a designated safe area beyond it. The strikes came shortly after the U.N. Security Council endorsed a U.S. plan to secure and govern Gaza, including an international force to maintain security, a transitional authority, and a possible path to Palestinian independence. Hamas rejected the plan, arguing that disarmament provisions undermine the neutrality of the proposed force.
Although Israeli attacks have decreased since the ceasefire, they have not stopped. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports more than 300 deaths since the truce began. Both sides have accused each other of violating terms, which include increasing aid flow to Gaza and returning hostages. More than 69,000 Palestinians have died since Israel launched a broad offensive in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and abducted 251.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes targeted Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, including alleged weapons storage facilities. On Wednesday, a strike on a car in the village of Tiri killed one person and injured 11, including students on a nearby bus, according to Lebanese authorities. Israel claimed it had eliminated a Hezbollah operative and accused the group of attempting to rebuild its capabilities in southern Lebanon, though it provided no evidence.
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