Israeli military strikes targeted tents outside two major hospitals in the Gaza Strip overnight, resulting in the deaths of at least two individuals, including local reporter Yousef al-Faqawi, and injuring nine others, six of whom were reporters, according to Palestinian medical sources. Additionally, separate strikes across the Gaza Strip accounted for the deaths of another 15 people.
The ongoing conflict, which began when Hamas-led militants launched an incursion into Israel on October 7, 2023, has escalated to alarming levels. This incursion claimed the lives of approximately 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of 251 others, with Hamas currently holding 59 hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.
In response, Israel has intensified its offensive in Gaza, leading to staggering casualty figures. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that over 50,000 Palestinians have died as a consequence of the conflict, the majority being women and children. The latest reports indicate that in just the past 24 hours, local hospitals received 57 bodies from Israeli strikes, and an additional 137 people were reported injured. This brings the total Palestinian death toll from the 18-month-long war to 50,752, with over 115,475 injured. The Health Ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its records but emphasizes that more than half of those killed are women and children. Israel claims to have killed around 20,000 militants but has not provided evidence to substantiate this figure.
The escalation of violence has prompted Palestinians to observe a general strike in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. On Monday, shops in areas like Ramallah, which houses the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, were closed, and the streets were notably empty. The West Bank has been under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Mideast war, and the Palestinians aspire for it to be the cornerstone of their future state. The Palestinian Authority has limited autonomy over certain population centers in the region.
During a visit to Cairo, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a ceasefire regarding the situation in Gaza and advocated for the lifting of Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid. His meetings with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II focused on the urgency of a ceasefire to mitigate the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Following a truce that ended last month, Israel halted all imports of food, fuel, and humanitarian assistance to Gaza’s 2 million residents in an effort to compel Hamas to agree to new ceasefire terms. Egypt and Qatar have played significant roles as mediators in negotiations with Hamas.
In related incidents, the Israeli military reported the shooting of a Palestinian-American teenager accused of throwing rocks at motorists in the occupied West Bank. This incident resulted in the teenager's death, with the Palestinian Health Ministry confirming that the distraught family lost their son, and two others were injured, one critically.
The media tent outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis was struck by Israeli military action, resulting in a fire that claimed the life of journalist Yousef al-Faqawi and another man, while injuring six other journalists. The Israeli military has asserted that its strike targeted a Hamas militant, but it has not provided additional details. Nasser Hospital reported receiving 13 bodies, including six women and four children, from separate strikes overnight, while Al-Aqsa Hospital in central Gaza reported two killings and three injuries from a strike on a residential home in Deir al-Balah.
The details of this report have been corrected to clarify that Palestine Today is a news website, not a television station.
