At least 25 Palestinians Killed in Pre-Dawn Strike
Israeli Airstrike: In the early hours of Sunday morning, an Israeli airstrike targeted a home in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza, killing at least 25 Palestinians, including 13 children. The attack also left 30 others wounded. This strike is part of an ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza, which has been under siege for weeks. According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, emergency teams have struggled to reach the site due to the blockade, and locals continue searching for more victims in the rubble.
A Tragic Scene in Jabalia
An Al Jazeera reporter at the scene posted disturbing footage on social media, showing numerous bodies and reporting that at least 32 people were killed in the strike. Jabalia has already seen hundreds of fatalities since the start of Israel’s operation in the region last month, making this one of the deadliest attacks to date. The house that was hit belonged to the Aloush family, and the number of victims continues to rise as rescue efforts are hampered. 
Impact of Israel’s Offensive in Northern Gaza
The Israeli military’s operation in Jabalia and other northern Gaza towns aims to disrupt Hamas activities. However, Palestinians and human rights groups accuse Israel of attempting to depopulate the area. Experts have warned that the region is facing a severe humanitarian crisis, with food shortages and the risk of famine looming. This week, a report from the independent Famine Review Committee highlighted the catastrophic potential of the situation, calling for immediate international action to avert a disaster.
Israeli Airstrike Claims and Civilian Casualties
Early on Sunday, the Israeli military claimed to have killed “dozens of terrorists” and destroyed Hamas infrastructure in Jabalia, including a weapons warehouse. However, these claims could not be independently verified. Meanwhile, the civil defence agency reported that another five people were killed in a strike on Gaza City’s Sabra neighbourhood, with several more civilians trapped under rubble.
Journalists Among the Victims
In a separate attack on Saturday, five members of a family in Gaza, including two children, were killed when Israeli airstrikes hit a school sheltering displaced people. Among the victims were journalist siblings Ahmad and Zahra Abu Sakhil, along with their father Muhammad and three others. Their deaths bring the total number of journalists killed by Israeli strikes since October 7 to 188.
Read more: Israeli airstrikes kill at least 40 people in eastern Lebanon, says health ministry.
International Response and Humanitarian Crisis
The death toll in Gaza has now surpassed 43,000, with thousands more feared buried under debris. The United Nations reports that nearly 70% of those killed have been women and children. Meanwhile, Israel continues to target sites in Lebanon, where at least 40 people were killed, including five siblings—three of whom were deaf and mute—by Israeli airstrikes in the port city of Tyre.
Continued Israeli Military Actions in Lebanon and Gaza
In Lebanon, Israeli strikes have also targeted Hezbollah infrastructure, including fighters and weapons stores. On Saturday, Hezbollah retaliated with missile and rocket fire aimed at Israeli military positions in the north. The escalating violence across Gaza and Lebanon has further intensified the crisis in the region.
The Escalating Crisis and Its Global Impact
The conflict, which began in early October, has wreaked havoc across Gaza, Lebanon, and Israel, claiming countless lives and creating an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. As the violence intensifies, global attention remains fixed on the region, with humanitarian agencies calling for urgent intervention to prevent further loss of life.
As the war rages on, the need for comprehensive, fact-checked reporting has never been more crucial. The Guardian continues to provide detailed, investigative coverage of the conflict, offering a reliable source of information in a time of great uncertainty.
