In a series of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Thursday, at least 50 Palestinians have reportedly lost their lives, as confirmed by health officials and local first responders. The strikes are part of ongoing military operations aimed at dismantling Hamas and its affiliates.
Details of the Strikes
Early morning assaults included a missile hitting a police station located in the busy market area of Jabalia, resulting in nine casualties, according to reports from a local hospital. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that this strike targeted a “command-and-control centre” for Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, both of which were allegedly involved in orchestrating attacks.
Later in the day, the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency reported that an additional 12 individuals were killed when a family residence in Jabalia’s Ard Halawa area was bombed, with fears that more victims may be trapped beneath the debris. The IDF acknowledged they were reviewing these reports.
Further casualties included a family of six from the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza City, whose home was struck overnight. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) identified one victim, Ali al-Sarafiti, as a former prisoner with a history of being convicted for an attempted suicide attack.
In other locations, three displaced individuals died when their makeshift tent was targeted near Nuseirat, while two children were killed in a separate strike on another tent in Khan Younis.
“One by one we are getting martyred, dying in pieces,” said Rania al-Jumla, who lost her sister in a Khan Younis strike.
Humanitarian Crisis and Military Operations
The Hamas-run health ministry reported that since Israel resumed offensive operations in Gaza on March 18, following a two-month ceasefire, at least 1,978 individuals have been killed. The Israeli government asserts that its military actions are geared toward exerting pressure on Hamas to release 59 hostages, of which 24 are believed to be alive.
In the past seven weeks, Israel has blocked all humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza. The United Nations has expressed concern that this blockade is exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and violating international law obligations of the occupying power to ensure food and medical supplies are available to civilians.
During a recent visit to southern Gaza, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir emphasized the ongoing military efforts against Hamas, stating, “We continue our operational pressure and to tighten our hold on Hamas as needed, and if we do not see progress in the return of the hostages, we will expand our activities into a more intense and significant operation until we reach a decisive outcome.” He reiterated Hamas’s accountability for the war and the suffering of the civilian population.
The IDF has issued evacuation orders for residents in specific areas around Jabalia, cautioning that operations would intensify in Beit Hanoun and Sheikh Zayed due to ongoing terrorist activities. An estimated 420,000 Palestinians have been displaced in recent weeks, representing approximately 20% of Gaza’s population, amid UN warnings that such orders have led to the forced transfer of civilians into increasingly confined spaces with limited access to essential services.
In a separate admission on Thursday, the IDF acknowledged that its tank fire had resulted in the death of a Bulgarian working for the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and injured five other UN personnel during a strike on March 19 in Deir al-Balah.
Israel’s military operations commenced in response to a large-scale cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, which claimed around 1,200 lives and led to the abduction of 251 others. Since the escalation of hostilities, more than 51,350 individuals have reportedly died in Gaza, according to health ministry statistics.