Israeli military airstrikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 21 Palestinians on Monday, according to local health authorities, as Israel intensified its week-long aerial and ground offensive in Rafah, near the border with Egypt.
Health officials reported that nearly 700 Palestinians have been killed since Israel resumed attacks on Gaza last Tuesday, marking the end of a period of relative calm following a ceasefire in January.
Among the deceased, at least 400 were women and children.
Hamas, the Islamist group that governs Gaza, said several of its senior political and security officials were also among the casualties.
Israel stated that its operations are aimed at pressuring Hamas to release the remaining hostages held in Gaza and emphasized its efforts to minimize civilian casualties.
Israel has disputed the death toll reported by health authorities in Gaza, which is run by Hamas.
Israel’s Defense Minister, Yoav Katz, asserted that Israel is fighting against Hamas, not Gaza’s civilian population.
He added, “But when Hamas fights in civilian dress, from civilian homes, and behind civilians, it puts civilians in danger, and they pay a horrible price.
That is why we are urging Gazans to evacuate combat zones,” Katz said on X (formerly Twitter).
Hamas, however, has denied using civilians or civilian infrastructure for military purposes.
In Rafah, local authorities reported that thousands of people were trapped in the Tel Al-Sultan area, where Israeli forces had deployed some of their troops.
“Contacts with the neighborhood are completely cut off, and the fate of residents is unknown.
Families are trapped among the ruins with no water, food, or medicine, amid the collapse of healthcare services,” the municipality said in a statement.
The Palestinian Civil Emergency Service confirmed that around 50,000 residents remained trapped in Rafah.
The Israeli military stated that its troops had surrounded Tel Al-Sultan to dismantle “terror infrastructure” and eliminate militants in the area.
As of Sunday, Palestinian officials reported that more than 50,000 people have died in the ongoing conflict, which began in October 2023 after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking over 250 hostages.
