At least 59 people have been killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza, including women and children, as Israel readies to intensify its military operations against Hamas militants.
The new wave of violence follows Israel’s approval of a plan to escalate its offensive in the Palestinian enclave. The plan involves taking control of Gaza and holding on to the captured territories, which would also include forcibly relocating Palestinians to southern Gaza, and taking charge of aid distribution alongside private security firms.
The strikes included an attack on a school sheltering hundreds of displaced Palestinians on Tuesday night, which resulted in the deaths of 27 people, including nine women and three children, according to officials at Al-Aqsa Hospital. This was the fifth time the school in central Gaza had been struck since the war began.
Another early morning strike on a school turned shelter in Gaza City killed 16 people, according to Al-Ahli Hospital officials. Strikes in other regions of Gaza claimed at least 16 additional lives. A large column of smoke was seen rising above the school shelter in Bureij, an urban refugee camp, as fires pierced the skies. Paramedics and rescuers worked swiftly to remove survivors from the flames.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) did not immediately comment on the strikes.
Israel blames Hamas for the high death toll, asserting that the militant group operates from civilian infrastructure, including schools.
The latest bloodshed comes after Israel approved a plan to escalate military operations in Gaza. This would involve seizing control of the territory, holding captured areas, forcibly relocating Palestinians, and taking charge of aid distribution. Israel is also mobilizing tens of thousands of reserve soldiers to carry out the operation.
The Israeli government has stated that this escalation will be gradual and will not begin until after US President Donald Trump concludes his visit to the region later this month. Any further escalation could lead to a significant rise in casualties, adding to the already devastating toll of the ongoing war, which has now entered its 20th month. With Israel already controlling approximately 50% of Gaza, expanding its control could pave the way for a potential military occupation, raising questions about how the territory would be governed—especially with Israel considering the implementation of Trump’s vision for Gaza.
