At least 31 people were killed in Gaza during a series of Israeli airstrikes on Sunday evening, marking another devastating escalation as the total death toll in the besieged enclave approaches 45,000.
School Bombing in Khan Younis
A bombing near the Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz School, affiliated with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), killed 20 people, including children, and injured several others. The school, located west of Khan Younis near the Nasser Medical Complex, served as a shelter for displaced persons, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Residential Areas Targeted
In northern Gaza’s Jabalia camp, Israeli forces reportedly demolished multiple residential buildings in the Abu Qamar area, leaving additional casualties and widespread destruction.
Another airstrike targeted the Al Qarm family home in the Al Shujaiyya neighborhood of Gaza City, killing six people, including children, and injuring others. A separate strike near the Al Qassam Cemetery in Nuseirat camp, central Gaza, resulted in six fatalities and 13 injuries, Wafa reported.
Journalist and Civil Defense Workers Killed
Among the casualties was Ahmed Al Lawh, a journalist working for Al Jazeera, who was killed in a strike on a Gaza civil defense office in the Nuseirat refugee camp. Three civil defense workers, including the agency’s local head, also died in the attack, according to Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
Israel’s military stated that the target was a militant command center embedded within the civil defense offices.
Rising Casualties
The total death toll in Gaza since October 7 now stands at 45,028, with 106,962 injured, as reported by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza.
International Concerns and Humanitarian Crisis
The United Nations has described the situation in Gaza as an “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.” The agency warned of severe challenges facing women and girls, including 50,000 pregnant women who lack basic essentials for survival.
Regional Warnings
In a related development, the Israeli military warned residents of 73 villages in southern Lebanon not to return to their homes until further notice, citing security risks. The military released a map and list of affected villages, with the Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee cautioning that those who disregard the warning could face fatal consequences.
The intensifying conflict continues to claim lives across the region, while international organizations and governments grapple with the growing scale of the humanitarian and geopolitical crisis.
