An Israeli airstrike in Gaza has killed Ashraf al-Khatib, a commander in the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, along with his wife. The strike, which targeted a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp, is part of a renewed escalation of violence in the region.
Palestinian sources confirmed the death of al-Khatib, stating that his body and that of his wife were taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Another individual injured in the attack later died from their wounds. This incident follows shortly after the reported killing of Hamas commander Mohammed al-Houli and three members of his family in an Israeli strike on Deir al-Balah.
Civil defense teams reported recovering four bodies from the rubble of the al-Houli family home. Reports from hospitals in Gaza indicate that at least 11 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip since Thursday morning. A recent strike also reportedly killed one Palestinian and injured another near a newly established police security point west of Gaza City.
Medical sources have reported a significant influx of casualties to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital following the strike on the house in Nuseirat. According to reports, the areas targeted by the Israeli military are outside of its control, as defined by the ceasefire agreement established last October. However, the Israeli military continues to control the southern and eastern borders of the Gaza Strip, as well as large sections of northern Gaza, maintaining control over approximately 50% of the territory.
Since the ceasefire agreement came into effect, it is reported that Israeli forces have killed 451 Palestinians and injured 1,251 others. Restrictions on the entry of food, medical supplies, and shelter materials into Gaza, where an estimated 2.4 million Palestinians live in dire conditions, remain a significant concern. The ongoing conflict has reportedly resulted in over 71,000 Palestinian deaths and 171,000 injuries, the majority of whom are women and children, and has caused extensive damage to infrastructure.
