Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday killed at least 21 people in Gaza, according to local medical sources, as fighting between Israel and Hamas escalated. The Israeli military confirmed that it targeted Hamas command centers, continuing its offensive against the militant group.
In one of the deadliest strikes, at least 13 people, including women and children, were killed in two separate attacks on houses located in Nuseirat, a historic refugee camp in Gaza. Another airstrike on a school in the Tuffah neighborhood, where displaced Palestinian families were sheltering, claimed seven more lives. Israeli officials have yet to comment on these specific strikes.
The Israeli military issued a statement saying that its airstrike in the Tuffah area was aimed at Hamas militants using a former school compound as a command center. Israel accuses Hamas of embedding its operations within civilian infrastructure, which Hamas denies.
Meanwhile, militant groups in Gaza, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for attacking Israeli forces in multiple areas with anti-tank rockets, mortars, and explosives, further intensifying the conflict.
The surge in violence coincides with an Israeli ground operation in Lebanon, where Israeli paratroopers and commandos are engaged in fierce battles with Hezbollah militants. Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel since its ally, Hamas, began its conflict with Israel after launching the deadliest assault in Israel’s history on October 7, which left over 1,200 people dead and more than 250 taken hostage.
The war, which has devastated Gaza, has displaced the majority of its 2.3 million residents and claimed the lives of more than 41,600 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
As Israel’s focus shifts to Lebanon, some Palestinians fear the conflict in Gaza could be prolonged. Samir Mohammed, a 46-year-old father of five from Gaza City, voiced concern over the continuing violence. “The world is watching Lebanon now while Gaza suffers. We fear the war will drag on for months,” he said, adding that Israel’s military actions extend across the region, including in Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon.
