An Israeli airstrike on the Dughmush family in Gaza City’s Al-Sabra neighborhood killed 11 people, according to the civil defense agency. The assault came as 10 countries, including Australia, Britain, and Canada, are scheduled to formally recognize an independent Palestinian state.
The strike is part of Israel’s intensified military campaign, which includes a ground assault and a demolition effort targeting high-rise buildings. The Israeli military estimates it has demolished up to 20 tower blocks in the past two weeks. Approximately 350,000 people have left Gaza City this month, though an estimated 600,000 remain.
Included in the population still in Gaza are Israeli prisoners held by Hamas. On Saturday, the group’s military wing released an image of the prisoners, warning that their lives were at risk due to the ongoing bombardment. According to recent figures, 48 of the 251 Israelis taken on October 7, 2023, have yet to be released, with 28 believed to be dead.
The conflict’s severe human toll was highlighted by a devastating personal account from Mohammed Abu Salmiya, the director of Al Shifa hospital. He was in the emergency department when he received the bodies of two victims of a strike, only to discover they were his own brother and sister-in-law. “Anything is possible now, as you receive your dearest ones as martyrs or wounded,” he said, lamenting that “the occupation’s crimes continue.”
After almost two years of fighting, which has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians, Israel maintains that the “war will end only if Hamas surrenders,” frees the prisoners, and disarms. Hamas, meanwhile, insists it will not disarm until a Palestinian state is established
