At least 25 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza as regional tensions surge

Strikes and resistance fighters retaliation signal potential for increased regional conflict

GAZA CITY:

Israeli forces intensified airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of at least 25 Palestinians, according to local medics on Thursday.

The strikes targeted various locations, including the Al-Bureij camp, where at least 15 people were killed, and the Al-Nuseirat camp, where four fatalities were reported. Both camps are recognised by Israel as strongholds of resistance fighters. Additional strikes hit Gaza City and Khan Younis, killing a total of six more people.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad have retaliated by firing anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs at Israeli positions, leading to casualties among Israeli forces. The Israeli military has claimed responsibility for targeting numerous military sites, including rocket launch pads.

The conflict began on October 7 last year, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli communities, killing 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. Since then, at least 39,699 Palestinians have died, with 22 of these in the past 24 hours, and 91,722 have been injured, as reported by Gaza’s health ministry.

As hostilities continue, Israel is preparing for potential further attacks, especially following threats of retaliation from Iran and Hezbollah for the recent assassinations of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr. The ongoing conflict, initially confined to Gaza, is now raising concerns about a broader regional war.

In Gaza, families gathered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis to mourn and bury their deceased relatives. Reuters footage showed relatives moving out the bodies of their loved ones in plastic bags with names written on them, and holding special prayers before the funerals.

As Gaza's war churns on, Israel has been battening down for another attack expected in the coming days following vows from Iran and Hezbollah to retaliate for the assassinations last week of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut.

A relatively contained conflict between Israel and Hezbollah along its northern border, a spillover from the Gaza fighting, now threatens to spiral into an all-out regional war.

The Israeli military renewed evacuation orders to Palestinian residents in several districts in eastern Khan Younis, saying it would act forcefully against fighters who had unleashed rockets from those areas. The army posted the evacuation order on X, and residents said they had received text and audio messages.

The World Central Kitchen (WCK), a US-based humanitarian organisation, reported that a Palestinian staff member, Nadi Sallout, was killed near Deir Al-Balah on Wednesday. The WCK is seeking more information, while the Israeli military has stated it was unaware of the incident but is in communication with the organisation. This follows a previous incident in April when seven WCK employees were killed in an Israeli airstrike, leading to a temporary suspension of the organisation's operations.