At least 20 people were killed on Monday as Israeli airstrikes pounded multiple areas across the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian health officials, marking one of the deadliest days in the enclave in recent weeks.
The strikes, which targeted what the Israeli military described as Hamas infrastructure and weapons storage facilities, resulted in widespread destruction in residential neighborhoods, raising fresh concerns over the mounting civilian toll in the ongoing conflict.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that the fatalities included women and children, with dozens more injured. Emergency workers and residents were seen digging through the rubble of collapsed buildings in densely populated areas like Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah.
“This is a humanitarian catastrophe,” said Dr. Youssef Abu al-Rish, a senior official in the health ministry. “Hospitals are overwhelmed and resources are stretched beyond capacity.”
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) stated that the air raids were in response to continued rocket fire from Gaza into southern Israel. “We are targeting terrorist sites and taking every precaution to minimize civilian harm,” the military said in a brief statement.
However, human rights groups and international observers have raised alarm over the intensifying violence and its disproportionate impact on non-combatants. The United Nations has called for an immediate ceasefire and renewed access for humanitarian aid.
“This level of destruction is unacceptable. Civilians, especially children, are bearing the brunt of this conflict,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in a statement issued late Monday.
Monday’s airstrikes add to the growing death toll in Gaza, where hundreds have already been killed since the latest round of hostilities began. The international community continues to press for de-escalation, but hopes for a negotiated truce remain uncertain.
