DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (diplomat.so) — At least 19 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a mosque in the Gaza Strip early Sunday, according to Palestinian officials. The strike occurred near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central town of Deir al-Balah, where displaced civilians had sought refuge. Israel claimed the mosque was a Hamas command center, although no evidence was provided to support this. The latest strike is part of Israel's intensifying military campaign targeting both Gaza and Hezbollah positions in Lebanon.
The Israeli military has also escalated its operations in Jabaliya, a densely populated area in northern Gaza, known for its long-standing refugee camp. Ground forces have encircled the area, with warplanes carrying out heavy bombardments to weaken Hamas militants. Israel has ordered fresh evacuations of civilians from northern Gaza, designating it a dangerous combat zone as strikes continue. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza has surged to nearly 42,000, with women and children accounting for many of the victims, according to local health authorities.
Meanwhile, Israel has been engaged in fighting on its northern front with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes pounded southern Beirut, targeting what it described as Hezbollah military sites. The strikes also hit areas near Beirut’s international airport. Hezbollah, Iran-backed and Lebanon's strongest armed force, has been trading fire with Israel since the war began, with nearly daily exchanges of rocket and artillery fire across the border.
The escalating conflict, which began after Hamas' October 7 attack, now threatens to draw in regional powers. Iran has supported Hezbollah and Hamas, with Iranian-backed groups in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen launching long-distance strikes against Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself, indicating that military operations would continue in both Gaza and Lebanon.
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