At least 31 people were killed in a fresh wave of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, while two fatalities were reported in Lebanon following similar attacks. Concurrently, United States forces carried out night-long aerial operations in Yemen, reportedly killing 12 individuals.
The death toll from Israel’s military campaign in Gaza continues to climb, with the territory’s Health Ministry stating that at least 51,201 Palestinians have been confirmed dead since the beginning of hostilities 18 months ago. Another 116,869 people have been wounded. The Gaza Government Media Office has placed the number of deaths even higher, at over 61,700, citing thousands still missing under the rubble and presumed dead.
Sunday’s strikes come amid a renewed escalation of hostilities. Over the past few days, nearly 100 people have died in Israeli bombardments across Gaza, while the US has intensified its efforts to dismantle what it terms the Houthis’ “military capabilities” in Yemen.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has strongly rejected the findings of an Israeli military probe into the deaths of 15 emergency workers last month. The PRCS called for “an independent inquiry by the United Nations,” saying it does not recognise the credibility of the Israeli report.
Efforts to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have collapsed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, abandoning his earlier softened stance on hostages, stated on Sunday that the war would not end until Hamas was “fully defeated in the enclave.”
Negotiations remain stalled as Hamas’s chief negotiator, Khalil al-Hayya, has refused to accept Israel’s demand for total disarmament.
Meanwhile, fears of wider regional escalation grew after threats reportedly issued by Israeli officials concerning the demolition of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Islam’s third holiest site.
Qatar, acting through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sharply condemned the statement.
“Qatar considers this a dangerous provocation that could significantly escalate violence in the region, especially amid the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip,” said the Foreign Ministry.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms Qatar’s unequivocal rejection of any attempt to alter the historical and legal status of Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem, or its holy sites,” the statement added.
The threat has raised concern among several regional observers who fear such language could mobilise widespread anger across the Muslim world and potentially lead to what Qatar described as the “destruction of the region” and a “cause for World War III.”
Despite sustained bombing campaigns by both Israel and the United States, analysts say the overall structure of Hamas and the Houthis remains largely intact.
Experts familiar with regional geopolitics argue that military action alone has proven ineffective and call instead for sustained negotiations. “Both Israel and Hamas must engage in constructive dialogue to secure a permanent peace deal, along with a hostage swap,” said one analyst.
The current war began with the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, in which at least 1,139 Israelis were killed and more than 200 taken captive.
As international diplomatic efforts struggle to find traction and the violence continues, humanitarian agencies warn of a rapidly worsening crisis with dwindling medical supplies, mass displacement, and the looming threat of famine in Gaza.
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