Khan Yunis: Israeli airstrikes on tents sheltering displaced civilians in Khan Yunis killed nine Palestinians, including four children, amid intensifying bombardment across the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces also targeted the Islamic University in Khan Yunis and carried out widespread military operations in the West Bank, including demolitions and arrests. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, 52,810 people have been killed and 119,473 injured since October 7, 2023, with most victims being women and children.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced a 3-billion-shekel benefits package for Israeli reservists, even as new resistance operations by Palestinian fighters struck Israeli forces. The humanitarian crisis deepened further with rising starvation deaths and dire medical shortages, prompting international organizations to issue urgent warnings. Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor described a “silent death” sweeping Gaza, while Gaza’s Medical Relief Director issued an SOS over the collapsing healthcare system.
New footage released by Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades showed a distressed Israeli captive pleading for the war to end, citing worsening conditions for other detainees. At the same time, the Economist, citing a study published by The Lancet, estimated the true Gaza death toll could reach 109,000, far higher than reported figures.
The Israeli army has also recruited two additional reserve brigades to escalate its operations, and officials expressed concern over Hamas expanding tunnel networks. Amid this escalation, flight activity at Ben Gurion Airport dropped by 34%, attributed to Yemeni missile threats.
Hamas issued a statement condemning the starvation blockade and criticized the insufficient response of Arab and Islamic states, calling the situation a “compound war crime.” Reports also confirmed the demolition of residential buildings by Israeli forces in Gaza City and the north of the Strip, and drone strikes killed two people near Khan Yunis earlier in the day.
