At least 27 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip overnight into Monday, local health officials reported.
The Israeli military has not yet issued any statement regarding the strikes.
Since ending its ceasefire with Hamas in March, Israel has continued daily attacks on Gaza.
It has also enforced a complete blockade, halting the entry of food, medicine, and other essentials for the territory’s two million residents since early March, stating the move is aimed at pressuring Hamas to release hostages.
The ongoing bombardment, coupled with widespread hunger, has heavily impacted Gaza’s most vulnerable groups, including children and pregnant women.
Meanwhile, the United Nations’ highest court opened hearings Monday on Israel’s responsibilities to allow humanitarian aid into occupied territories.
Israel maintains that the International Court of Justice shows bias against it. Officials argue that sufficient aid entered Gaza during the ceasefire and accuse Hamas of diverting supplies.
However, humanitarian organizations insist that supplies are critically low, with many Gazans surviving on one meal or less a day.
They also stress that the U.N. meticulously monitors aid deliveries and reject claims of significant misappropriation.
Homes targeted in latest airstrikes
An airstrike on a residence in Beit Lahiya killed 10 people, including Abdel-Fattah Abu Mahadi, a Palestinian prisoner freed during the ceasefire, along with his wife, two of their children, and a grandchild, according to the Indonesian Hospital.
Another airstrike in Gaza City left seven people dead, including two women, and injured two others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry’s emergency services.
Later Sunday night, a strike struck a home in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing at least 10, including five siblings as young as four years old, according to the Health Ministry.
Nasser Hospital confirmed the deaths of two other children and their parents.
Israel asserts it strives to minimize civilian casualties and places blame on Hamas for operating within densely populated areas. However, Palestinians argue that no place in Gaza remains safe amid the ongoing assault.
Eighteen months of war with no resolution in sight
The current conflict ignited on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a deadly attack on southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians and abducting 251 others.
Hamas is still holding 59 hostages, with 24 believed to be alive after various ceasefire deals led to the release of many others.
Israel’s military campaign in response has so far claimed over 52,000 Palestinian lives, primarily women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The toll does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. Widespread destruction across Gaza has left the majority of its population without homes.
Since the collapse of the ceasefire on March 18, 2,151 Palestinians, including 732 children, have been killed, the Health Ministry added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged to maintain the offensive until all hostages are freed and Hamas is dismantled or agrees to disarm and vacate Gaza.
He further indicated that Israel would move forward with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan, which envisions “voluntary emigration” of a large portion of Gaza’s population to other countries.
Palestinians view the proposal as a forced expulsion, warning that Israel’s military campaign has already rendered much of Gaza unlivable.
Human rights experts caution that such a move would likely violate international law.
Hamas, for its part, insists it will only release the remaining hostages if there is a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a lasting ceasefire, and the release of more Palestinian prisoners, conditions aligned with the truce Israel ended.
