As tensions in West Asia escalate, Israeli airstrikes in Gaza on Sunday resulted in the deaths of at least 41 people, including 13 children, according to reports from hospitals cited by CNN. Among the fatalities were victims of airstrikes at Al Mufti school in Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp, where at least 22 people lost their lives, including one infant who died despite medical intervention.
The Al Mufti school, part of the Nuseirat camp, was sheltering over 5,000 displaced people, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). This tragedy underscores the toll the conflict is taking on civilians, especially children, in densely populated areas like Gaza.
In a separate incident, five children were killed in an Israeli airstrike while playing marbles at Al Shati camp in northern Gaza. Additionally, eight members of a family, including six children, were killed in another strike on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp. These deaths were reported by Al Aqsa Hospital in Gaza, while Al Shifa Hospital confirmed the children’s deaths.
Meanwhile, six more people were killed when an Israeli tank shelled the Bureij refugee camp.
This latest surge of violence stems from the conflict that ignited on October 7, when Hamas launched a large-scale attack on Israel, leading to an Israeli counter-offensive. The situation has since spiralled, with Israeli airstrikes intensifying and civilian casualties mounting.
Adding to the regional instability, Hezbollah launched a drone attack on an Israeli army base, killing four soldiers, marking a significant escalation. Hezbollah claimed the strike was in retaliation for Israeli airstrikes on Beirut. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have acknowledged the attack, and investigations into the incident are ongoing.
As the conflict widens, involving various militant groups across the region, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, with no resolution in sight.