At least 52 Palestinians, including 36 sheltering in a school, were killed on Monday as Israeli airstrikes hit multiple locations across Gaza, according to health officials. The attack on the school in Gaza City’s Daraj neighborhood occurred while people were sleeping, setting their belongings on fire and causing widespread panic.
The Israeli military claimed it was targeting a militant command center used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad inside the school. However, footage from the scene showed rescuers battling fires and pulling out charred bodies, including that of a father and his five children. Hospitals in Gaza City confirmed the total number of casualties from this and other related strikes.
Additionally, a separate airstrike in Jabalya in northern Gaza killed 16 members of a single family, including five women and two children. The military blamed Hamas for civilian deaths, stating that militants operate from residential areas. Meanwhile, Palestinian militants fired three projectiles from Gaza, with two landing inside the territory and one intercepted by Israeli forces.
This deadly escalation comes as Israel pushes forward with its plan to take full control of Gaza and eliminate Hamas, following the collapse of a previous ceasefire in March. Despite allowing limited humanitarian aid last week, international aid agencies say the relief is insufficient and accuse Israel of worsening displacement through its military campaign.
In a related development, ultranationalist Israeli protesters stormed a UN compound in east Jerusalem during a march, shouting anti-Arab slogans. The compound, mostly empty since January due to safety concerns, remains under international protection. Meanwhile, controversy surrounds a new U.S.-backed aid distribution plan after its American head resigned, citing lack of independence and credibility.
So far, the conflict has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, with more than half of the victims being women and children. As destruction spreads and aid falters, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens with no clear end in sight.