Israeli air strikes on Sunday claimed the lives of dozens of people in Gaza and Lebanon, including several children, according to local rescuers and authorities.
In the northern Gaza Strip, rescuers reported that Israeli strikes killed at least 30 people, among them 13 children. An early morning strike in Jabalia destroyed a house, resulting in the deaths of 25 individuals, including 13 children, and injuring more than 30 others, as confirmed by Gaza’s civil defense agency.
The Israeli military stated that it targeted a site in Jabalia where “terrorists were operating,” asserting that these individuals posed a threat to Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) troops in the area. “The details are under review,” the military added.
Another air strike in the Sabra neighborhood of Gaza City resulted in the deaths of five people, according to the civil defense agency.
On the same day, the Israeli military and Shin Bet internal security agency announced the killing of Muhammad Abu Sakhil, head of operations for the Islamic Jihad militant group, in an air strike within the Gaza Strip. Israeli security forces described Abu Sakhil as a significant figure responsible for planning and coordinating attacks, including joint operations with Hamas against Israeli civilians and troops in Gaza.
The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, commonly known as Islamic Jihad, is a militant organization primarily operating in the Gaza Strip. Founded in 1981, it is the second-largest armed group in Gaza after Hamas.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel’s military actions in Gaza, calling them unprecedented and accusing Israel of rendering Gaza uninhabitable. In a televised address commemorating the 20th anniversary of former leader Yasser Arafat’s death, Abbas emphasized that Palestinians would not be forcibly displaced. “Our people cannot be erased,” he stated, highlighting that the Palestinian cause is at a critical juncture, with both Gaza and the West Bank facing violence and displacement due to ongoing Israeli attacks.
Abbas reaffirmed the Palestinian commitment to peace, calling for an end to the Israeli occupation and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Additionally, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned Israel’s construction of military corridors in Gaza, accusing Israel of dividing the territory and exacerbating the suffering of its residents. Israeli media reported that the Israeli army is reorganizing Gaza by creating three military corridors and setting up permanent installations.
The Israeli military has already established the Netzarim Corridor, which separates Gaza into northern and southern zones. The 4-kilometer-wide corridor has been transformed into a significant military base, including detention centers and command posts, with plans for two more such corridors, according to reports from the Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
