Israeli Strikes Kill 29 Palestinians Amid Renewed Rocket Fire from Gaza

The situation in the Gaza Strip intensified on Friday as Israeli military strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 29 Palestinians, according to medical sources. This violence is emblematic of the broader conflict, with sirens sounding in southern Israel due to fresh rocket attacks from Hamas-led factions, signaling that these militants continue to launch projectiles despite a protracted Israeli offensive that has severely damaged the enclave.

Officials in Gaza City reported that an Israeli airstrike targeting a residential building led to at least seven fatalities, while additional strikes in Khan Younis killed four individuals, including two women and a baby. Many others lost their lives in various air operations across the densely populated region, where Israeli forces have been actively targeting neighborhoods. Residents noted the destruction of multiple homes in Gaza City’s Zeitoun suburb and Rafah, lying near the border with Egypt.

Israeli military sources claim that Hamas operates from within crowded residential areas, which hampers their efforts to mitigate civilian casualties. On the other hand, Hamas has categorically denied these allegations. Reports from Israeli media indicate that of the rockets launched from Gaza, at least one was intercepted by air defense systems, and another fell in an uninhabited area, resulting in no injuries or significant damage.

As Palestinians in Gaza approach the first anniversary of the ongoing conflict, their prospects for peace remain dim. The fighting has already led to catastrophic humanitarian consequences, with the majority of the 2.3 million residents displaced and over 41,800 fatalities recorded, according to health officials in Gaza. International efforts, particularly from the United States, have so far failed to establish a ceasefire, as Hamas calls for the war's end while Israel insists that combat must continue until Hamas is defeated.