In a relentless third day of intensified airstrikes, Israel pounded Gaza overnight into Thursday, claiming 91 lives, including a newborn baby, as reported by the Gaza Health Ministry. The strikes, which flattened 11 residential buildings without prior warning, have drawn sharp international criticism for their toll on civilians. Among the deadliest incidents, 20 perished in Khan Younis when Israeli forces hit multiple homes, while seven were killed in a single family residence in northern Gaza’s as-Sultan neighborhood near Beit Lahiya.
Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum described the dawn raids as particularly brutal, noting the targeting of densely populated areas. “Israel’s strategy appears deliberate—no warnings, just strikes,” he said. The week’s death toll has surged to 506, with 200 children among the casualties and 909 injured, per Gaza health officials.
Hamas retaliated Thursday, launching a salvo of M90 rockets toward Tel Aviv, calling it a response to “civilian massacres.” Israel’s military intercepted one projectile, with two others landing in open fields, reporting no injuries. The rocket fire follows the collapse of a two-month ceasefire, reignited by Israel after the killing of several Hamas leaders, including Gaza’s de facto government head and its security chief.
The United Nations has issued a scathing rebuke after an Israeli strike killed a foreign UN worker and wounded five others at a central Gaza facility on Wednesday. UN aid chief Tom Fletcher demanded accountability, slamming the attack as “infuriating” and a violation of international law. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini confirmed five more agency staff deaths this week, raising their toll to 284 since hostilities began.
In Israel, public unrest grows. Thousands protested in Jerusalem on Wednesday, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to focus on freeing captives in Gaza rather than escalating the conflict. Netanyahu, however, doubled down, declaring Tuesday that the renewed campaign was “just the beginning” and pledging to dismantle Hamas and secure all hostages.
Hamas official Abdul Latif al-Qanou signaled openness to mediation, emphasizing a desire to “spare our people” and secure Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. Yet with both sides entrenched, the spiraling violence shows no sign of abating, as the international community braces for a worsening humanitarian crisis.
