At least 60 people, most of them women and children, were killed in Israeli air strikes across the Gaza strip early Tuesday, according to Palestinian officials.
The latest wave of attacks comes just days after Israel resumed major military operations in the enclave, which has already endured months of intense bombardment since October 2023.
The Gaza Health Ministry later confirmed attacks in northern Gaza had struck a family home and a school sheltering displaced civilians, killing at least 22 people, more than half of them women and children.
In central Gaza, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital reported 13 deaths from a strike on a home in Deir el-Balah, while 15 people were killed in a separate strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp.
Further south, Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis said two strikes in the city killed 10 people.
On Saturday, Israel announced it was expanding its military operations in Gaza with the declared goal of “defeating Hamas.” Ground troops entered the territory on Sunday, backed by heavy artillery and air support.
Earlier this month, Israel’s security cabinet approved plans to intensify operations. One senior official described it as a step toward “conquest” of the territory and a mass displacement of its population.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel would take “full control” of the Gaza Strip, adding that preventing famine in the enclave was necessary for “diplomatic reasons.”
Limited humanitarian aid resumed on Monday for the first time in more than two months following mounting international criticism of Israel’s complete blockade, which has led to severe shortages of food, water, and medicine.
Netanyahu acknowledged the move, saying images of “mass starvation” could undermine support for Israel’s war effort.
Israel’s war on Gaza
The Israeli military has carried out a relentless offensive in Gaza since October 2023, resulting in the deaths of nearly 53,500 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
