Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Sunday killed at least 30 Palestinians, including a senior civil defence official and a journalist, according to Gaza’s health authorities. The strikes hit multiple locations in Khan Younis, Jabalia, and Nuseirat, all areas densely populated with civilians and displaced families.
Among the victims was journalist Hassan Majdi Abu Warda, killed alongside family members when an airstrike targeted his home in Jabalia. Abu Warda’s death brings the number of Palestinian journalists killed since October 2023 to 220, as reported by the Hamas-run Gaza Government Media Office.
In Nuseirat, senior emergency services official Ashraf Abu Nar and his wife were also killed in their residence.
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A particularly deadly strike targeted the Fahmi al-Jarjawi School in Gaza City, which was being used as a civilian shelter. At least 30 people were killed when the school was hit. The Israeli military later claimed, without presenting evidence, that the site was being used as a “command and control centre” by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives.
The statement claimed measures were taken to mitigate civilian harm, despite the high death toll and repeated targeting of civilian shelters throughout the conflict.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also reported the deaths of two staff members, Ibrahim Eid and Ahmad Abu Hilal, who were killed in a strike on a home in Khan Younis. The organization condemned the ongoing violence and reiterated calls for a ceasefire and the protection of civilians, including medical and humanitarian workers.
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The Gaza Media Office reported that Israeli forces now control approximately 77% of the Gaza Strip, either through ground occupation or by displacing civilians with bombardments and evacuation orders. Meanwhile, Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed they had conducted counterattacks on Israeli forces using explosives and anti-tank weapons in several regions of Gaza.
The ongoing war, which began after Hamas launched a cross-border assault on October 7, 2023—resulting in 1,200 Israeli deaths and 251 hostages according to Israeli sources—has since led to more than 53,900 Palestinian fatalities. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen, with aid agencies warning of widespread malnutrition and devastated infrastructure.
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In a related escalation, hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday during the annual “Jerusalem Day” march. Accompanied by Israeli police, the settlers carried national flags, chanted slogans, and performed religious rituals within the compound and through the Muslim Quarter of the Old City.
The event, marking the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem in 1967—a move deemed illegal under international law—has drawn condemnation from Palestinian communities and international rights organizations. Witnesses reported harassment and physical assaults on Palestinian civilians and shopkeepers by settlers, fueling fears of broader unrest.
Despite increased security, tensions remain high in East Jerusalem, particularly around the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a site sacred to Muslims and a recurring flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
