At least eight Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sunday night in the eastern part of Deir el-Balah, located in the central Gaza Strip. According to medical sources in Gaza, six of the deceased were from the same family. Witnesses reported a drone strike followed by an Israeli fighter jet dropping a large bomb on the area. The news agency Wafa reported that Israeli artillery conducted heavy bombardments simultaneously with a series of intense airstrikes on the district. The attacks targeted a house belonging to the Maammar family in al-Hekker, resulting in the death of family members.
Since last week, the Israeli military has urged Palestinians seeking refuge in the eastern part of Deir el-Balah to move westward, as the area had been declared a “red zone.” Al Jazeera reporter Hani Mahmoud, who reported from Deir el-Balah, stated: “This weekend has been quite violent and extremely bloody.” Mahmoud noted that the situation is one-sided, with the Israeli military exerting control in a manner that has led to further civilian casualties, including women and children.
According to witnesses, the Israeli military partially withdrew from the eastern part of Deir el-Balah but left behind a trail of destruction, including homes, mosques, and public buildings. The destruction continued, and Wafa reported that Israeli drones fired on civilians near the al-Aanan football field, killing three individuals and injuring several others. In Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, rescue teams also recovered a body from al-Qarara, north of the city, despite artillery shells being fired in the area.
Israeli artillery also struck a home belonging to the Ayad family in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City. Meanwhile, a child succumbed to injuries ten days after being hit by an Israeli strike aimed at a group of civilians in the Batn as-Sameen area of Khan Younis. According to health authorities in Gaza, at least 59 people have been killed across the strip since Saturday.
The ongoing attacks occur while Hezbollah has launched drones and rockets into Israel, and Israeli forces have conducted “preventive attacks” in Lebanon. Simultaneously, Egypt is hosting a new round of talks attempting to bring an end to Israel’s war against Gaza, which has now lasted for 11 months. Since the beginning of the conflict, at least 40,405 Palestinians have been killed in the intense Israeli bombardments, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. Additionally, at least 93,356 Palestinians have sustained injuries as a result of these attacks.