Escalation in Gaza: Israeli Air Strikes Claim Lives of 24 Palestinians

Israeli military offensives resulted in the deaths of 24 Palestinians overnight, with significant casualties in a school sheltering refugees. The strikes, part of an ongoing conflict, have drawn widespread condemnation and calls for a ceasefire amid a humanitarian crisis.

At least 24 Palestinians have been killed following two Israeli air strikes in Gaza overnight, according to civil defense officials and medics. One of the strikes targeted the Fahmi Al-Jargawi School in Gaza City, a makeshift shelter for families displaced from the northern town of Beit Lahia, which is currently under heavy Israeli military assault.

Witnesses reported that the strike resulted in alarming casualties, with a spokesperson for the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency confirming that 20 bodies, including those of children, were recovered from the school. Many were severely burned as fires engulfed makeshift living quarters that had been classrooms just hours before the strike. Rami Rafiq, a resident nearby, described the scene, revealing, “Flames were everywhere. I saw charred bodies lying on the ground,” a moment that left his son in shock.

Video evidence from the region depicted large flames engulfing sections of the school, with graphic scenes of burnt victims and survivors sustaining critical injuries. Among those confirmed dead was Mohammad Al-Kasih, head of the Hamas police in northern Gaza, along with his wife and children.

Earlier, another air strike hit a residence in central Gaza City, which contributed four additional fatalities, as reported by the Hamas health ministry. These attacks reflect the broader offensive by Israeli forces, intensifying over the past week.

The conflict continues to wreak havoc on civilian life. Reports indicated that on Friday, a stroke of tragedy fell upon the family of Dr. Alaa al-Najjar, as nine of her ten children perished in an Israeli strike on their home. The victims, aged between mere months and 12 years, left the family grappling with profound loss while Dr. Al-Najjar’s husband remained in critical condition.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported the killing of two staff members due to a strike in Khan Younis, further exacerbating the civilian death toll and amplifying Pleas for a ceasefire. In a situational update, the ICRC stated that the circumstances of civilian life in Gaza represent an "intolerable" crisis.

A humanitarian blockade has further complicated the plight of Gaza’s population, which has suffered from a lack of essential supplies since early March. As of late January, only a fraction of the required aid has been brought into the territory. On Sunday, an international meeting in Madrid underscored the urgency of a resolution, with calls for an arms embargo on Israel should it persist with its attacks.

Since hostilities reignited following Hamas’s cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, Israeli military actions have resulted in catastrophic human loss, claiming at least 53,939 lives, including over 16,500 children, per the local health ministry.