Gaza bloodshed: 43 civilians killed in intensified Israeli bombardment

Shafaq News/ At least 43 Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, Arab media reported on Thursday, amid a renewed wave of military escalation.

Medical sources reported that 26 civilians were killed in Khan Younis alone, where at least eight homes were hit in early morning strikes. Additional casualties were confirmed in Bani Suheila, east of Khan Younis, where an Israeli missile strike on a residential house left several dead and others injured.

In northern Gaza, seven Palestinians were reportedly killed in Jabalia when an Israeli strike targeted a home, while four others lost their lives in a separate attack on an apartment in Gaza City’s al-Nasr neighborhood.

The bombardment comes as part of Israel’s ongoing offensive, which officials claim targets “Hamas military infrastructure.” Since the war began in October 2023, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that over 61,700 Palestinians have been killed—most of them women and children.

Simultaneously, Israeli ground forces launched pre-dawn raids across the West Bank, sweeping through cities including Tubas, Nablus, Bethlehem, and Dura. Troops reportedly detained suspects, ransacked homes, and stormed refugee camps in Qalandiya, al-Fawwar, Askar, and Yabad, near Jenin.

In Tammun, near Tubas, a standoff erupted when Israeli special forces surrounded a residential building. Witnesses described a firefight after several young Palestinians barricaded themselves inside. The confrontation escalated when Israeli troops fired an Energa anti-tank round and deployed an explosive-laden drone, triggering fires and heavy smoke.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed to press forward. “The army will persist in fighting terrorism throughout the West Bank and will not allow it to gain ground,” he declared, according to Israeli media.

Meanwhile, the New York Times, citing Israeli officials, reported that the ongoing blockade of food and fuel is part of a calculated strategy to pressure Hamas leadership. However, amid mounting humanitarian concerns, senior military commanders are reportedly reconsidering the scope of the blockade and evaluating options to allow more aid into Gaza.

For the past nine weeks, Israel has enforced a complete closure of humanitarian corridors, intensifying its military campaign to pressure Hamas over the fate of remaining hostages.