The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants in Gaza continues to escalate, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes claimed the lives of at least 13 people, including women and children, according to Palestinian medical officials. This tragic event occurred on the same day that Israel allowed the first delivery of aid to northern Gaza in weeks, a region facing a dire humanitarian situation.
One of the airstrikes targeted a former school, now used as a shelter in Gaza City’s Tufah neighborhood, killing six people, including two journalists, a pregnant woman, and a child. Gaza’s Health Ministry confirmed the incident. The Israeli military, while acknowledging the strike, claimed it was aimed at a Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant, without providing further details.
In another separate incident, seven people lost their lives when an Israeli airstrike hit a tent sheltering displaced civilians in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Among the victims were two women and a child, as reported by Nasser Hospital. The Israeli military has yet to comment on this attack.
The Israeli military body responsible for humanitarian aid to Gaza, COGAT, announced that 11 aid trucks carrying food, water, and medical supplies reached the far north of the enclave, including the urban refugee camp at Jabaliya. This is the first time aid has reached the northern region since Israel launched a fresh military campaign there last month. This delivery follows a U.S. deadline demanding that Israel improve aid deliveries across Gaza. Experts warn of a looming famine in parts of northern Gaza.
The Israeli offensive has focused on Jabaliya, a densely populated refugee camp where Israel alleges Hamas has regrouped. Other areas affected by the campaign include Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, located north of Gaza City. According to the U.N., tens of thousands of people remain in these areas. Earlier this week, the Gaza Health Ministry reported the absence of ambulances and emergency crews north of Gaza City.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, the Israeli army has repeatedly struck schools and tent camps, sheltering thousands of Palestinians displaced by Israeli offensives and evacuation orders. The conflict has resulted in the displacement of 90% of Palestinians in Gaza, according to U.N. figures. The military has consistently accused Hamas of operating within civilian infrastructure in Gaza, including schools, U.N. facilities, and hospitals. The conflicting narratives surrounding the use of these facilities lie at the heart of this protracted conflict.
In July, Israeli airstrikes hit a girls’ school in Gaza’s central city of Deir al-Balah, killing at least 30 people sheltering inside. Israel’s military claimed it targeted a Hamas command center used to direct attacks against its troops and store weapons.
The war, now exceeding a year, has claimed the lives of over 43,000 people, according to Palestinian health officials. While they do not differentiate between civilians and combatants, they report that over half of the fatalities were women and children. The conflict began on October 7, 2023, after Palestinian militants stormed into Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 250 others.
