More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in the latest wave of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, marking one of the deadliest escalations in recent weeks. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, 103 people were killed overnight into Sunday, with dozens more injured. These figures are part of a growing toll, with over 460 reported dead in just the past week.
The attacks have triggered the closure of the Indonesian Hospital, the last operational public medical facility in northern Gaza, pushing the region’s humanitarian crisis to a critical tipping point. As ceasefire talks continue in Qatar, the violence on the ground paints a stark picture of the fragile and deeply fractured path to peace.
The Escalating Conflict in Gaza
The Israeli military has launched a renewed offensive, titled “Operation Gideon’s Chariots,” aimed at dismantling Hamas infrastructure, securing territory, and increasing control over the movement of humanitarian aid. The strikes are concentrated in northern areas like Jabaliya and Khan Younis, where densely populated neighborhoods have seen entire buildings leveled.
Israeli officials have stated that the goal is to “exert maximum pressure” on Hamas to release hostages and comply with terms for a potential ceasefire. However, the scale and intensity of the strikes have led to widespread civilian casualties and massive displacement.
This latest escalation is part of the broader conflict that reignited in October 2023 following a deadly Hamas attack on Israeli communities. Since then, Gaza has endured near-daily bombardments, with health authorities reporting over 53,000 deaths and tens of thousands more wounded.
Death Toll and Civilian Impact
According to the Gaza health ministry, 103 people were killed in just one night, many of them women and children. Several residential neighborhoods were struck, with medics and witnesses reporting scenes of devastation and panic. “Complete families were wiped off the civil registration record by Israeli bombardment,” a spokesperson for the ministry said.
The airstrikes reportedly targeted refugee camps, homes, and emergency shelters. In one particularly tragic incident, an extended family of 17 people was found dead beneath the rubble of a bombed apartment building in central Gaza.
These attacks come after a week in which 464 people were reported killed in Israeli military operations. The intensifying bombardment is being interpreted by analysts as a strategy to force population displacement towards the southern regions of Gaza and break Hamas’s grip on northern strongholds.
International observers have raised alarms over the civilian death toll, urging restraint and calling for immediate humanitarian access.
Indonesian Hospital Closure
The closure of the Indonesian Hospital in Beit Lahia has dealt a devastating blow to Gaza’s already collapsing healthcare system. The facility was the last remaining public hospital in northern Gaza and had been treating hundreds of patients daily, many of them suffering from war injuries, trauma, and chronic conditions exacerbated by the blockade.
Health officials said the hospital was forced to shut down operations after multiple nearby airstrikes made it unsafe for patients and staff to remain. Damage to infrastructure, power outages, and shortages of fuel and medical supplies also contributed to the closure.
“The situation is catastrophic,” said a spokesperson for the hospital. “We have patients who require immediate surgeries and children in intensive care who now have nowhere to go.”
With this shutdown, hundreds of thousands of civilians in northern Gaza are now without access to any form of emergency healthcare, raising fears of rising death tolls from untreated injuries and illness.
Ceasefire Talks in Qatar
Amid the ongoing violence, ceasefire negotiations are being held in Doha, Qatar, where representatives from Israel, Hamas, Egypt, and the United States are reportedly discussing a potential truce and a hostage release deal.
Israeli officials say they are open to a temporary ceasefire, provided that Hamas agrees to release all remaining hostages and demilitarize parts of Gaza. Hamas, in contrast, demands a full end to hostilities, withdrawal of Israeli forces, and unrestricted humanitarian access.
Diplomats involved in the talks describe the process as fragile but ongoing. “Both sides are under immense pressure,” said one official. “But every hour the bombs keep falling, the prospects of a deal grow more complicated.”
With public opinion hardening on both sides and the humanitarian crisis deepening by the day, the path to peace remains perilously uncertain.
