A devastating wave of Israeli airstrikes swept across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday, killing at least 404 Palestinians and injuring 562 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The attacks, which targeted residential areas and key infrastructure, shattered a fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that had brought two months of relative calm to the region. Families were wiped out in seconds, hospitals were overwhelmed with casualties, and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepened further.
Residents of Gaza were jolted awake by the sound of explosions as Israeli fighter jets launched a series of strikes across the densely populated enclave. The bombardment targeted multiple locations, including residential buildings in Gaza City, Khan Younis, Rafah, and Deir Al-Balah. Witnesses described scenes of chaos as homes crumbled and people scrambled to rescue loved ones trapped under rubble.
Momen Qoreiqeh, who lost 26 members of his family in the attacks, shared his harrowing experience: “We were shocked late at night to see strikes and attacks on Gaza like in the early days of the war. I was with my family when suddenly there was a huge attack on our residential block. Some of my family members are still buried under the rubble.”
Ahmed Abu Rizq, a teacher in Gaza City, recounted the horrifying scenes at local hospitals: “We woke up frightened, hearing Israeli strikes everywhere. If you’re now in one of Gaza’s hospitals, you will see blood everywhere. Families are arriving with the remains of their children in their hands.”
Medical facilities across Gaza are overwhelmed by the sheer number of casualties. Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City reported mass casualties arriving continuously throughout the night. Muhammad Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital—the largest medical facility in Gaza—described the dire situation: “Every minute, a wounded person dies due to a lack of resources.”
Doctors are struggling to treat patients amid severe shortages of medical supplies such as gauze, painkillers, and blood reserves. Hind Khoudary, reporting from Deir el-Balah, noted that hospitals have been calling for urgent blood donations as supplies run dangerously low. “The shortage of fuel is also putting all medical facilities at risk of collapse,” she added.
The humanitarian crisis has been exacerbated by Israel’s blockade on aid entering Gaza. For over two weeks, trucks carrying essential supplies have been barred from entering the territory, leaving hospitals ill-equipped to handle emergencies.
The airstrikes have left entire families dead or severely injured. Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud reported seeing families brought to hospitals with no survivors among them: “We’ve seen entire families killed—women, children, and elderly alike. A mother was crying over the bodies of her two daughters at Al-Ahli Hospital.”
The attacks have proven once again that there is no safe place in Gaza. Many residents who had returned to bombed homes or evacuation centers after the ceasefire were killed inside these very shelters.
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas had been brokered two months ago as part of a three-phase plan involving hostage exchanges and negotiations for long-term peace. However, tensions escalated over disagreements regarding the release of hostages held by Hamas. Israeli officials accused Hamas of refusing to comply with terms for extending the ceasefire and claimed that Tuesday’s strikes were necessary to achieve military objectives.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to intensify operations against Hamas: “From now on, Israel will engage Hamas with escalating military force.” Defense Minister Israel Katz echoed this sentiment, stating that Israel’s actions aim to ensure “the release of all hostages—both living and deceased.”
The renewed violence has plunged Gaza into an even deeper humanitarian crisis. The enclave has been grappling with shortages of food, clean water, electricity, and medical supplies due to Israel’s blockade. With fuel supplies dwindling further after Tuesday’s strikes, essential services like desalination plants and hospital generators are at risk of shutting down entirely.
Raz Al-Nahas, a volunteer physician at Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, described heartbreaking scenes: “Babies and children are scattered across the floor, bleeding from their heads and abdomens. I attended to a seven-year-old boy gasping for air after learning his entire family had been killed.”
The airstrikes have drawn widespread condemnation from humanitarian organizations and calls for restraint from international leaders. Arab intermediaries supported by the United States had been working to extend the ceasefire agreement but failed to reconcile differences between Israel and Hamas.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned last month that a return to violence would lead to immense tragedy: “The people of Gaza cannot endure another prolonged conflict.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Israeli forces announced plans for a massive offensive in Gaza and instructed civilians in several neighborhoods to evacuate immediately. This raised fears of further large-scale displacement within an already overcrowded territory.
An Israeli official described these actions as preemptive measures against Hamas’ alleged readiness to execute terror attacks and rearm its forces.
Tuesday’s airstrikes mark one of the deadliest escalations in Gaza since hostilities began nearly 17 months ago. With over 400 Palestinians killed—including dozens of children—and hundreds more injured or trapped under rubble, the human toll continues to rise.
As hospitals struggle against overwhelming odds and families mourn unimaginable losses, Palestinians face yet another chapter of desperation amid ongoing conflict. The shattered ceasefire underscores how fragile peace remains in this region—a stark reminder that lasting solutions require not just diplomacy but urgent humanitarian intervention.
For now, Gaza remains engulfed in grief as its people search for safety amid relentless violence.
