On a recent Saturday, an Israeli airstrike on a municipal building in the Gaza Strip’s Deir al-Balah resulted in the deaths of at least 10 individuals, including the city’s mayor. According to a report by the Palestinian news agency Wafa, the building was serving as a shelter for displaced persons. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed the strike, stating that it was aimed at the mayor who was accused of participating in military operations for the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The IDF claimed that the mayor had been involved in activities supporting Hamas, but did not elaborate on the specifics of these allegations.
The violence in Gaza intensified on the same day, with multiple Israeli airstrikes resulting in additional casualties. In Gaza City, a strike on the former Al-Majida Wasila School claimed the lives of at least seven individuals. This location was also reportedly housing displaced individuals from the ongoing conflict. The IDF mentioned that it was investigating these reports and recognized that it had conducted a strike on another school compound near Gaza City, alleging it was being used by Hamas as a command post.
The IDF defended its operations, asserting that it had targeted Hamas facilitators plotting attacks against Israel and was taking steps to limit civilian casualties. However, they did not provide specific figures on civilian deaths in their strikes. The Wafa report indicated that two additional individuals were killed, with various others injured in these aerial bombardments. Over a 24-hour period, the Health Ministry in Gaza, under Hamas’s jurisdiction, reported that Israeli airstrikes had claimed 55 Palestinian lives, summing a staggering total of more than 44,900 deaths in Gaza since the escalation of the war over 14 months ago.
The escalation of violence from Israel is a reaction to the unprecedented attacks launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of approximately 250 hostages. The IDF also noted that airstrikes were aimed at weapons depots and individuals tied to recent missile assaults launched from Gaza towards southern Israel. Critically, the IDF reported that one of the targeted missile sites was in proximity to an active international aid warehouse, a claim that has not been independently vetted.
In the Israeli-occupied West Bank, tensions were mirrored as Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces initiated operations against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in Jenin. This operation, which began on Saturday, sought to dismantle what the PA labeled as “lawless elements” within the region. Reports indicated that one PIJ commander was killed, although the PA did not confirm this. This crackdown was perceived as a measure to prevent a potential armed uprising in the West Bank that could compromise the PA’s authority—an apprehension that has historical resonance given Hamas’s 2007 takeover in Gaza following their electoral victory.
The PA, wary of Hamas’s influence expanding into the West Bank, had previously undertaken similar security measures in Jenin earlier in the week against both Hamas and PIJ, which have accused the PA of colluding with Israel. Complicating the internal Palestinian dynamics, these operations constitute a broader struggle for power among Palestinian factions, with the PA aiming to reinforce its weakened grip on authority amid rising tensions and public dissatisfaction. As relatives grieve for the deceased in Gaza, the ongoing violence raises concerns over the dire humanitarian situation and prospects for a peaceful resolution, as Israel and Hamas continue to engage in a protracted and escalating conflict.