At least 17 Palestinians were killed in fierce Israeli airstrikes on Sunday, bringing the total death toll over the weekend to 19.
The deadly escalation comes as US President Donald Trump announced the next phase of a “ceasefire” in the destroyed enclave, reports Al Jazeera.
Tragedy in Gaza City: Families Under the Ruins
According to medical sources at the „Al-Shifa“ hospital The heaviest strike on Sunday was on the Al-Susi housing complex in western Gaza City. The attack killed 33-year-old Abdullah Abu Taif, his pregnant wife Abeer Anan (29), and their five-year-old son Azzam.
Correspondents on the ground said the Israeli air force operated at low altitude and attacked without prior warning or orders to evacuate civilians. Israel, for its part, maintains that the strikes are legitimate, targeting Hamas positions and members. and other armed groups.
Chronology of the weekend escalation
- Friday and Saturday: At least eight Palestinians were killed in initial airstrikes on Saturday, and nine more bodies were pulled from the rubble of collapsed buildings, according to reports from the Gaza Health Ministry. Saturday's attacks also hit medical supplies warehouses in the central enclave.
- Sunday: Intense bombardment in the northern, central and southern Gaza Strip killed another 17 people, including civilians in refugee camps.
Agreement threatened
The new attacks coincide with a diplomatic breakthrough announced by the International Council for Peace and Stabilization, according to which “Hamas“ has accepted a detailed roadmap for phased disarmament in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal. Israel has not yet officially commented on the proposal, and the ongoing military actions seriously question the sustainability of the agreements.
According to data from the health authorities in Gaza, cited by Al Jazeera, since the start of the conflict in October 2023, the total number of Palestinian deaths has reached 73,231 people, and the injured are over 173,000. The humanitarian crisis is expected to deepen, as less than half of the hospitals in the enclave are partially functioning.