Gaza and the West Bank Bleed Amid Renewed Israeli Airstrikes and Settler Violence
The Gaza Strip witnessed one of its deadliest 24-hour periods in months as Israeli air and ground operations killed more than 90 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. Concurrently, the occupied West Bank saw a disturbing escalation in settler-led violence, resulting in the deaths of at least three Palestinians in clashes involving armed Israeli settlers.
In Gaza, medical officials report that at least 21 Palestinians were killed in a single day, including children and women, as Israeli warplanes struck what the military described as militant infrastructure. However, among the dead were civilians taking refuge in locations previously designated as humanitarian shelters. In Sheikh Radwan, a northern neighborhood of Gaza City, nine people were killed when a school-turned-shelter was struck by an Israeli airstrike. In the southern city of Khan Younis, another nine civilians perished when Israeli forces targeted tents near a food distribution point. Witnesses described scenes of chaos and devastation as aid lines turned into sites of carnage.
The Israeli military has defended its campaign, stating that operations are aimed at dismantling Hamas's logistical and military networks, particularly after a deadly ambush earlier this week killed seven Israeli soldiers in Khan Younis. That attack, one of the deadliest against Israeli forces in recent months, involved an improvised explosive device targeting an armored vehicle.
While Israel continues its military offensive, diplomatic efforts led by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have attempted to broker a ceasefire. However, talks remain stalled. Hamas has conditioned the release of remaining Israeli hostages on a full ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Israel insists on the destruction of Hamas as a precondition for any permanent truce.
Beyond Gaza, violence is also spiraling in the West Bank. On June 26, at least three Palestinians were killed in what rights groups are calling a settler rampage. Armed settlers, often accompanied by Israeli soldiers, entered a Palestinian village and clashed with residents, leading to multiple fatalities and widespread property damage. Human rights monitors have documented a sharp rise in settler-led violence since the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023, with dozens of Palestinian villages attacked and hundreds displaced.
These attacks underscore the rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian situation across Palestinian territories. The United Nations has issued urgent warnings about the risks of famine, particularly in northern Gaza, where aid delivery has slowed to a trickle. Hospitals are barely functioning, neonatal wards are without baby formula, and the few operating clinics are overwhelmed by the influx of trauma cases.
Despite global outcry, the situation on the ground continues to unravel. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has publicly called for the cessation of all humanitarian aid into Gaza, asserting that supplies are being misused by Hamas. His stance has drawn sharp criticism from international agencies, including the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which has called the blockade a deliberate attempt to “weaponize hunger.”
As the conflict grinds on with no end in sight, civilians remain the primary victims. In both Gaza and the West Bank, families are burying their dead, mourning under fire, and wondering when, if ever, the cycle of violence will end.
In Gaza, medical officials report that at least 21 Palestinians were killed in a single day, including children and women, as Israeli warplanes struck what the military described as militant infrastructure. However, among the dead were civilians taking refuge in locations previously designated as humanitarian shelters. In Sheikh Radwan, a northern neighborhood of Gaza City, nine people were killed when a school-turned-shelter was struck by an Israeli airstrike. In the southern city of Khan Younis, another nine civilians perished when Israeli forces targeted tents near a food distribution point. Witnesses described scenes of chaos and devastation as aid lines turned into sites of carnage.
The Israeli military has defended its campaign, stating that operations are aimed at dismantling Hamas's logistical and military networks, particularly after a deadly ambush earlier this week killed seven Israeli soldiers in Khan Younis. That attack, one of the deadliest against Israeli forces in recent months, involved an improvised explosive device targeting an armored vehicle.
While Israel continues its military offensive, diplomatic efforts led by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have attempted to broker a ceasefire. However, talks remain stalled. Hamas has conditioned the release of remaining Israeli hostages on a full ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Israel insists on the destruction of Hamas as a precondition for any permanent truce.
Beyond Gaza, violence is also spiraling in the West Bank. On June 26, at least three Palestinians were killed in what rights groups are calling a settler rampage. Armed settlers, often accompanied by Israeli soldiers, entered a Palestinian village and clashed with residents, leading to multiple fatalities and widespread property damage. Human rights monitors have documented a sharp rise in settler-led violence since the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023, with dozens of Palestinian villages attacked and hundreds displaced.
These attacks underscore the rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian situation across Palestinian territories. The United Nations has issued urgent warnings about the risks of famine, particularly in northern Gaza, where aid delivery has slowed to a trickle. Hospitals are barely functioning, neonatal wards are without baby formula, and the few operating clinics are overwhelmed by the influx of trauma cases.
Despite global outcry, the situation on the ground continues to unravel. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has publicly called for the cessation of all humanitarian aid into Gaza, asserting that supplies are being misused by Hamas. His stance has drawn sharp criticism from international agencies, including the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which has called the blockade a deliberate attempt to “weaponize hunger.”
As the conflict grinds on with no end in sight, civilians remain the primary victims. In both Gaza and the West Bank, families are burying their dead, mourning under fire, and wondering when, if ever, the cycle of violence will end.
