By Israeli airstrikes killed at least 16 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Monday, including five women and four children, according to Palestinian officials, as the conflict that began with Hamas’ October 7 attack nears its one-year mark.
In the densely populated Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, an early morning strike flattened a home, killing 10 people, including four women and two children. The Awda Hospital, which received the casualties, reported that 13 others were wounded. Hospital records indicate that among the dead were a mother, her child, and five siblings.
Another airstrike targeting a residence in Gaza City resulted in six fatalities, including a woman and two children, the Hamas-run Civil Defense reported.
The Israeli military, which says it targets only militant operatives and accuses Hamas of endangering civilians by operating in residential areas, rarely comments on individual strikes.
Since the war’s onset, the Gaza Health Ministry reports over 41,000 Palestinian deaths, with more than half being women and children. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. Israel claims to have killed over 17,000 militants but has not provided evidence for this figure.
As the conflict in Gaza continues, tensions are escalating on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that time is running out for a potential agreement with Hezbollah to halt cross-border attacks.
“The possibility for an agreed framework in the northern arena is running out as Hezbollah continues to ‘tie itself’ to Hamas,” Gallant stated, according to his office. “The trajectory is clear.”
Hezbollah, an Iran-allied group like Hamas, has been launching rockets and drones into northern Israel since the Gaza war began. Israel has responded with airstrikes and targeted killings of Hezbollah commanders, threatening a wider operation that could lead to another full-scale war.
While Hezbollah has indicated it would cease attacks if a ceasefire is reached in Gaza, negotiations brokered by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt have repeatedly stalled. Hamas demands a permanent ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza as conditions for releasing the remaining hostages from the October 7 attack.
Gallant emphasized to Austin that “in any possible scenario, Israel’s defense establishment will continue to operate with the aim of dismantling Hamas and ensuring the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza — by any means.”
As the conflict approaches its one-year anniversary, the international community watches closely, with growing concerns about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the potential for regional escalation.
