DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — According to medical personnel, Israeli forces struck tents near two major hospitals overnight, resulting in the deaths of at least two individuals, including a local journalist, and injuries to nine others, including six journalists, on Monday.
Hospitals reported fifteen additional fatalities from separate strikes throughout the Gaza Strip.
A strike on a media tent outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis at approximately 2 a.m. caused a fire, resulting in the deaths of Yousef al-Faqawi, a reporter for the Palestine Today news website, and another person, as stated by the hospital. Six reporters sustained injuries in the same strike.
The Israeli military stated that they targeted a Hamas militant but provided no further details. They maintain that they attempt to avoid civilian casualties and attribute such deaths to Hamas’s presence within residential areas.
Reports from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah indicate that Israeli forces also struck tents on the hospital’s periphery, wounding three people.
Nasser Hospital reported receiving thirteen additional bodies, including those of six women and four children, from separate strikes occurring overnight. Al-Aqsa Hospital reported two deaths and three injuries resulting from a strike on a home in Deir al-Balah.
Israel has been conducting extensive strikes across Gaza and maintaining ground forces since last month. Israel has been restricting the entry of essential supplies, including food, fuel, medicine, and humanitarian aid, since the beginning of March.
Throughout the 18-month conflict, thousands have sought refuge in tents erected within hospital compounds, under the assumption that these locations would be less likely targets for Israeli forces.
Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of utilizing hospitals for military purposes; these allegations have been refuted by hospital staff.
The conflict was initiated by a Hamas-led incursion into Israel on October 7, 2023, which involved attacks on army bases and farming communities, resulting in approximately 1,200 deaths, primarily civilians. 251 individuals were abducted, with 59 still held captive – 24 of whom are believed to be alive – after the majority were released during ceasefires or other agreements.
Israel has pledged to maintain military pressure until Hamas releases the remaining hostages, surrenders its weapons, and withdraws from the territory. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated his intention to implement U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate a significant portion of Gaza’s population to other countries through what he describes as “voluntary emigration.”
Palestinians have expressed their desire to remain in their homeland, and human rights experts have cautioned that implementing the Trump proposal could constitute mass expulsion.
Netanyahu was scheduled to visit Washington on Monday to discuss issues relating to Gaza, among other topics.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, Israel’s military offensive has resulted in the deaths of over 50,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children. The ministry does not specify the number of militants versus civilians among the deceased. Israel claims to have killed approximately 20,000 militants, but has not provided supporting evidence.
The offensive has caused extensive destruction throughout Gaza and, at its peak, displaced around 90% of its population.
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Magdy reported from Cairo.
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