GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — At least 60 Palestinians were killed in a series of Israeli airstrikes overnight and into Tuesday, local health officials reported, as Israel intensifies its military campaign against Hamas. The strikes targeted residential areas and a school-turned-shelter, adding to the growing civilian toll and fueling a surge in international criticism of Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
Since the renewed offensive began in recent days, over 300 people have been killed across the Gaza Strip, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ongoing conflict, which Israel says is aimed at rescuing hostages and dismantling Hamas, has devastated the already war-torn enclave of 2 million residents.
The latest Israeli airstrikes hit multiple locations across Gaza, including a family home and a school serving as a shelter in northern Gaza, killing at least 22 people, more than half of whom were women and children, according to the Health Ministry.
In Deir al-Balah, a strike killed 13 people, while 15 others died in an attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp, hospital sources said. In Khan Younis, two separate strikes resulted in 10 additional fatalities, according to Nasser Hospital.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment, but has consistently claimed that it targets only Hamas operatives and blames the group for civilian casualties due to its use of densely populated areas for operations.
The mounting death toll has drawn sharp condemnation from Israel’s allies. On Monday, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom warned of potential “concrete actions,” including sanctions, unless Israel halts what they described as “egregious” new military actions in Gaza.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot accused Israel of exercising “blind violence”, turning Gaza into a “place of death,” and declared on French radio that “this must stop.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the criticism, arguing that concessions to international pressure would only reward Hamas for its Oct. 7, 2023 attack, during which 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 251 others taken hostage.
While criticism of Israel’s military strategy is rare within the country, Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats opposition party and a former general, delivered a searing rebuke on Tuesday.
“A sane country doesn’t engage in fighting against civilians, doesn’t kill babies as a hobby and doesn’t set for itself the goals of expelling a population,” Golan said in an interview with Reshet Bet radio.
Netanyahu fired back, calling Golan’s comments “wild incitement” and accusing him of echoing “antisemitic blood libels.” Golan, who fought during the October 7 attacks, has previously faced backlash for drawing parallels between Israeli society and Nazi-era Germany.
As international pressure builds, Israel has agreed to permit limited humanitarian aid into Gaza for the first time in more than two months. The blockade had previously cut off food, medicine, and fuel, leading to famine warnings from relief experts.
Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said Israel approved 100 aid trucks, but only five have entered Gaza since Monday. The delay in aid distribution remains unexplained, and the UN calls the volume “a drop in the ocean” compared to the 600 trucks per day delivered during earlier ceasefires.
Netanyahu acknowledged allowing limited aid following pressure from international allies concerned over “images of hunger” emanating from Gaza.
The current conflict was triggered by Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel last October, which left 1,200 dead and led to the abduction of 251 hostages. Of those, 58 remain captive, with roughly a third believed to be alive.
In retaliation, Israel launched a sweeping military campaign across Gaza, which the Gaza Health Ministry claims has now killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children. The figures do not distinguish between militants and civilians.
As Israeli forces push deeper into the territory, the humanitarian crisis continues to escalate. Evacuation orders have been issued for Khan Younis, which was heavily bombarded earlier this year. With thousands displaced and hospitals overwhelmed, the outlook remains dire.
