At least 32 Palestinians, many of them women and children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, according to local health officials, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to travel to Washington for a meeting with United States President Donald Trump to discuss the war.
The strikes struck densely populated residential areas, with one incident in Khan Younis reportedly killing five men, five women and five children, according to Nasser Hospital. A female journalist was among the deceased. “My daughter is innocent. She had no involvement, she loved journalism and adored it,” her mother, Amal Kaskeen, told the media.
Another strike on Sunday targeted civilians waiting outside a bakery in Gaza City, killing six people, including three children, the civil defence reported. Meanwhile, shelling in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza claimed four lives, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The Israeli military, which resumed its offensive last month following the collapse of a temporary ceasefire, stated that ten projectiles were launched from Gaza in the largest barrage since hostilities resumed. Around five of these were intercepted, and a rocket reportedly landed in Ashkelon. One man sustained minor injuries.
Israeli forces responded with airstrikes and ordered evacuations in several central Gaza neighbourhoods, including parts of Deir al-Balah. The military later said it had targeted a rocket launcher.
Netanyahu, currently visiting Hungary, is due to meet President Trump in Washington on Monday. The leaders are expected to discuss the ongoing war, ceasefire negotiations, and the newly announced 17 per cent US tariff on Israeli goods. “There is a very large queue of leaders who want to do this with respect to their economies," said Netanyahu. "I think it reflects the special personal connection and the special connection between the United States and Israel, which is so vital at this time.”
Sunday’s escalation coincides with mounting frustration both within Gaza and Israel. Protests broke out in Jabaliya, with demonstrators marching against Hamas. “Trump wants to end the Gaza issue. He is in a hurry, and that is clear from this morning,” said Mohammad Abdel-Hadi, a relative of one of the victims.
Within Israel, there is growing anger over the renewed military campaign’s impact on hostages still held in Gaza. Fifty-nine of the original 251 captives remain in Hamas custody, 24 of whom are believed to be alive. Families and supporters have called on Trump to help secure an end to the conflict.
The war, which erupted on 7 October 2023 when Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people in Israel and took hostages, has led to widespread devastation in Gaza. Gaza’s Health Ministry states at least 50,695 Palestinians have been killed, more than half of them women and children. Israel claims to have eliminated around 20,000 militants, though it has not provided evidence to substantiate the figure.
International bodies, including the UN and Red Crescent, have criticised Israel’s military conduct, especially after the delayed recovery of the bodies of 15 medics killed in a recent strike. The Israeli army later revised its account of the incident following public outcry.
The United States, along with Egypt and Qatar, continues to act as a mediator in ceasefire talks, having expressed support for Israel's military operation when it resumed last month.
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