War in Gaza: Intensified Israeli Strikes and Rocket Response

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The Israeli military continues to carry out intense airstrikes on Gaza, as negotiations with Hamas remain stalled and the humanitarian crisis deepens.

On Monday, the Israeli army stated that a strike on a school in Gaza City targeted “senior terrorists” operating from what it described as a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command center located in a former school building.

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The Palestinian Civil Defense reported that at least 25 people were killed in the strike.

According to an army statement, the targeted facility was “a command center for Hamas and Islamic Jihad located in what was formerly a school… in the vicinity of Gaza City.”

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Gaza Civil Defense, told AFP that “our teams recovered at least 25 bodies, most of them children, and more than sixty wounded from the Fahmi Al-Jargawi School, which was sheltering hundreds of displaced people in the Al-Daraj neighborhood. What happened is a horrifying massacre.”

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Media reports also indicated that Israeli navy vessels and ground forces heavily shelled areas in the northern and western parts of the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Heavy artillery bombardment was also reported in the eastern and southern districts of Khan Younis, in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced it had detected the launch of three rockets from southern Gaza toward the surrounding areas. One of the rockets was intercepted before reaching its target, with no details provided regarding the others.

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Israeli army radio reported that eight projectiles have been fired from Gaza into Israel over the past week.

After a two-month truce, Israel resumed its offensive in mid-March. Military operations intensified significantly on May 17, with declared goals to dismantle Hamas, liberate remaining hostages, and take full control of the Gaza Strip.

Ongoing Humanitarian Catastrophe

The war erupted following a surprise Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

During the attack, 251 people were taken hostage. As of now, 57 are believed to remain in Gaza, including 34 confirmed by Israel to have died.

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Since the war began, the death toll among Palestinians in Gaza has reached 53,939, the majority being women and children, with 122,797 injured. At least 3,785 Palestinians have been killed since Israel resumed its military operations, according to the latest figures from Gaza’s Hamas-run Ministry of Health.

The Israeli assault is accompanied by a strict blockade, exacerbating severe shortages of food, water, fuel, and medical supplies. Aid organizations warn of the risk of famine, stating that the volume of supplies allowed into the enclave remains far below what is needed.

This deepening humanitarian disaster is fueling growing international outrage, including from some of Israel’s traditional allies.

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