At least 32 people, most of them women and children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, local health authorities reported on Sunday, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to the United States to meet President Donald Trump for discussions about the ongoing conflict.
Israel, which ended its ceasefire with Hamas last month, has captured territory in an attempt to compel the militant group into agreeing to a new truce and the release of remaining hostages. The country has also prevented the entry of food, fuel, and other critical supplies into Gaza for more than a month, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the enclave, which heavily depends on external aid.
Phone footage challenges Israel’s account of killing 15 Palestinian medics
On Sunday evening, the Israeli military instructed residents of several areas in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, to evacuate, shortly after around 10 projectiles were launched from the territory—marking the largest attack from Gaza since Israel resumed military operations.
The military said about five of those projectiles were intercepted. Hamas’ armed wing claimed responsibility. A rocket hit the city of Ashkelon, and debris fell in other locations, police said. According to the Magen David Adom emergency service, one person sustained minor injuries. The military later announced it had targeted and hit a rocket launcher in Gaza.
Israeli airstrikes overnight into Sunday hit a tent and a home in Khan Younis, a city in the south, killing five men, five women, and five children, according to Nasser Hospital, which received the victims’ bodies.
Among the deceased was a female journalist. “My daughter was innocent. She had no part in any of this — she was passionate about journalism and loved it deeply,” her mother, Amal Kaskeen, said.
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A toddler’s body occupied one side of an emergency stretcher.
“My cousin was killed, and Trump wants the Gaza issue resolved quickly — that’s clear from what happened this morning,” said Mohammad Abdel-Hadi, a relative of one of the victims.
In the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza, Israeli shelling claimed at least four lives, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. An Associated Press journalist at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah reported that seven bodies — including those of a child and three women — had arrived there.
Meanwhile, a strike in Gaza City hit civilians queuing outside a bakery, killing at least six people, including three children, according to the civil defence service operated by Gaza’s Hamas-led administration.
Netanyahu Meets Trump Amid Protests Against the War
In Jabaliya, dozens of Palestinians demonstrated against the war, with social media footage showing them marching and chanting anti-Hamas slogans. While such protests are uncommon, they have taken place in recent weeks.
Within Israel, resentment is growing over the renewed conflict and its implications for the hostages still held in Gaza. Hostage families, recently released individuals, and their supporters have urged President Trump to work towards ending the hostilities.
Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Trump on Monday, their second encounter since Trump began his new term in January. The prime minister stated that their agenda would include discussions on the conflict and the newly imposed 17% tariff on Israel — part of a broader U.S. global trade policy.
“There are many leaders waiting for similar discussions regarding their economies. It reflects the strong personal ties and the critical connection between the U.S. and Israel during this difficult time,” Netanyahu said during the conclusion of his visit to Hungary.
The United States, alongside Egypt and Qatar, is one of the key mediators in truce negotiations and supported Israel’s decision to resume the conflict last month.
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Human Toll of the Conflict
Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed since then, including 15 medics whose bodies were only recovered a week after their deaths. Israel’s military recently revised its narrative about the incident, partially captured on video, which had drawn criticism from officials with the Red Cross, Red Crescent, and the United Nations.
The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched an attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting 251. Of those hostages, 59 remain in Gaza — with 24 believed to be alive.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 50,695 Palestinians have been killed by Israel’s offensive. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but says over half the dead were women and children. Israel claims it has killed about 20,000 militants but has not provided evidence to support this figure.
Early Monday, airstrikes hit within the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital compound. Explosions were recorded by an Associated Press camera, with smoke and flames visible from a distance. No immediate reports of casualties were available.
Escalation in the West Bank
The Palestinian Health Ministry in the occupied West Bank said that an American-Palestinian teenager was killed, and two others were wounded — one critically — and alleged that Israeli settlers were responsible for the shooting.
The Israeli military said it was investigating the incident in Turmus Ayya, a town near Jerusalem with a significant Palestinian-American community.
The war in Gaza has fuelled violence in the West Bank, where Israeli military operations have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians and the displacement of tens of thousands. There has also been a rise in both settler violence and Palestinian attacks on Israelis.