Israeli Airstrikes Across Gaza Kill at Least 26, Including Children and Displaced Families

At least 26 Palestinians have been killed by a series of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, according to local health authorities and first responders.

One of the deadliest strikes occurred in the northern town of Jabalia, where nine people were killed when a police station was targeted. Video footage showed the aftermath of the attack, with crowds gathered around a flattened structure in a bustling market area. The Israeli military stated it had targeted a “command-and-control centre” operated by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, alleging it was being used to plan attacks.

In a separate incident in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood, six members of a single family – including four children – were killed when their home was struck during the night. The Gaza Civil Defence agency confirmed the casualties, identifying the father as Ali al-Sarafiti, reportedly a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and a former Israeli prisoner.

Elsewhere, three displaced individuals were killed when their tent was hit near Nuseirat in central Gaza, while two children reportedly died in a strike on another tent in Khan Younis in the south. Medical sources said at least 20 people were killed throughout the day in various locations across the territory.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that at least 1,978 people have been killed since Israel resumed its offensive in mid-March, following the collapse of a temporary ceasefire. The Israeli government says its operations aim to apply military pressure on Hamas to secure the release of 59 hostages still held in Gaza, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.

Since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, more than 51,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the health ministry.

Israel has also blocked humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza for seven consecutive weeks. The United Nations has warned that this is further deteriorating civilian living conditions and limiting access to basic necessities like food, water, and medicine.

There has been no immediate comment from the Israeli military regarding Thursday’s reported casualties. Meanwhile, unrest continues in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces shot and killed a 12-year-old boy, and settler violence has been reported in villages such as Bardala.

As the conflict continues, international observers and humanitarian groups have called for an urgent ceasefire and unrestricted access to aid for Gaza’s population.

With input from BBC, Al Jazeera, and the Guardian.