Gaza: A deadly explosion in Rafah has resulted in Israeli casualties among Golani Brigade soldiers during a building demolition operation, according to Israeli media reports.
Although an official statement is yet to be released due to an ongoing media blackout, eyewitnesses described a massive blast followed by Israeli helicopters airlifting wounded soldiers from the combat zone.
The Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for detonating an explosive device near the Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque in Rafah, stating it was part of their “Gates of Hell” operation and that several Israeli soldiers were killed or dismembered.
According to reports Israeli forces were attempting to rig homes with explosives as part of their sweeping demolition campaign in the city, where most buildings have already been flattened since the ground invasion began.
Amid this intense fighting, at least 16 Palestinians were killed in fresh Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip. In the northern town of Beit Lahiya, an Israeli airstrike killed nine people, most from a single displaced family sheltering in a home.
Rescuers are still searching for survivors trapped under rubble. Additional deaths were reported in Deir el-Balah, the Nuseirat refugee camp, and Shujayea, with more injured as bombardments continued overnight. A young girl was also killed when Israeli artillery hit tents sheltering displaced families in Khan Younis.
Medical officials say more than 100 Palestinians have been killed within a 24-hour window, and hospitals like the Indonesian Hospital are overwhelmed by the influx of casualties, many of them severely burned or crushed. Humanitarian conditions in Gaza have reached a critical point, with a tightened Israeli blockade since March 2 leading to widespread hunger and the collapse of aid delivery systems. The World Central Kitchen halted food operations due to the exhaustion of supplies, and the World Food Programme confirmed its Gaza stocks had run dry. Aid convoys are reportedly ready at borders in Egypt, Jordan, and Israel, but cannot proceed without official clearance.
Rights organizations and aid groups have condemned Israel’s aid restrictions, warning of famine and accusing the government of using starvation as a war tactic. Anera, a major food distributor, says deliveries have dropped from nearly one million meals weekly to just a few thousand in over two months.
The situation at open aid centers is increasingly chaotic, with desperate civilians scrambling for scarce resources. Bakeries have shut down, water supply networks have failed due to fuel shortages, and humanitarian agencies are no longer able to treat or prevent hunger-related illnesses.
Meanwhile, the conflict is spilling beyond Gaza. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant issued a direct threat to Iran, warning it could face the same destruction as Hamas and Hezbollah. The warning came after Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile that struck near Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport.
In retaliation, Israel launched air strikes on Houthi-controlled infrastructure in Yemen, killing at least one person and injuring many. Despite a U.S.-mediated ceasefire in the Red Sea, Houthi spokespersons pledged continued attacks on Israel and its maritime assets, escalating tensions across the region.
The evolving crisis highlights not only the devastating toll on civilians but also the dangerous potential for regional escalation, as international pressure mounts on Israel to permit unhindered humanitarian access and end the siege on Gaza.
