Massacre in Gaza: Israeli Strikes Kill 58 Palestinians, Including Women and Children

Rescuers search through the rubble of destroyed homes in Gaza after Israeli airstrikes. Grieving families hold lifeless children, while smoke and dust fill the air.

Gaza City – In a devastating escalation of violence, Israeli airstrikes pounded multiple homes across the Gaza Strip overnight, killing at least 58 Palestinians, including men, women, and children, according to local medics. The strikes struck as families slept, reducing homes to rubble and leaving rescuers scrambling to search for survivors.

Hospitals across Gaza reported being overwhelmed with casualties. The European Hospital in Rafah confirmed it had received 36 bodies, mostly women and children, while the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis reported seven fatalities. In the north, the Indonesian Hospital confirmed 19 more deaths.

Among the hardest-hit was the Abu Daqa family in Abasan al-Kabira, near Khan Younis. A direct strike on their home claimed 16 lives, including a father and his seven children. The only survivor was a month-old baby girl, who was pulled from the rubble by her grieving grandparents.

“Another tough night,” said Hani Awad, a local volunteer helping rescuers sift through the wreckage. “The house collapsed over the people’s heads.”

Ceasefire Collapses, Fighting Resumes

The bombardment came just days after Israel resumed heavy strikes across Gaza, shattering a fragile ceasefire that had facilitated the release of more than two dozen hostages. Israel blamed Hamas for the renewed fighting, claiming the group rejected a new proposal that allegedly deviated from their prior agreement.

The violence is part of Israel’s ongoing military campaign to crush Hamas and rescue the remaining 59 hostages—35 of whom are believed dead. On Wednesday, Israeli ground forces advanced for the first time since the ceasefire, seizing parts of a corridor separating northern Gaza from the south.

Israeli officials say the offensive will continue until Hamas is defeated and all hostages are released. However, Hamas insists that it will only free the remaining hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

A War Without an End in Sight

The conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, has already claimed the lives of nearly 49,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry reports that more than half of the victims have been women and children.

Israel maintains it has killed around 20,000 Hamas militants, but no independent evidence has been provided to verify the claim. The war has also displaced 90% of Gaza’s population, turning entire neighborhoods into rubble.

As the 17-month war drags on, the humanitarian toll continues to mount. With no end in sight, thousands of innocent lives remain caught in the crossfire of a conflict that shows no signs of abating.