Israeli strikes on Gaza kill dozens of Palestinians, including in ‘safe zone’

Israeli strikes in the central Gaza Strip overnight into Tuesday resulted in the deaths of numerous individuals as Israel and Hamas consider the most recent cease-fire proposal. One strike took place in an Israeli-designated “safe zone” meant for thousands of displaced Palestinians.

Additionally on Tuesday, Israeli police reported that officers shot and killed a 19-year-old Palestinian after he stabbed a police officer in the occupied West Bank, adding to the escalating violence in the region since the beginning of the conflict in Gaza. The Israeli military also announced plans to commence sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men starting on Sunday.

Hamas’ October 7th attack triggered the war with militants entering southern Israel, resulting in the deaths of around 1,200 individuals — predominantly civilians — and the abduction of approximately 250 others. Since then, Israeli ground offensives and bombardments have led to the deaths of over 38,600 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. The Health Ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its tally.

The majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents are living in overcrowded tent camps in central and southern Gaza. Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting, and the breakdown of law and order have hindered humanitarian efforts, leading to widespread hunger and heightened concerns of famine.

Under U.S. pressure, Israel has committed to providing significant amounts of humanitarian aid to the war-torn Gaza Strip. However, both the U.S. and Israel have allowed tax-deductible donations to extreme right-wing groups that have prevented this aid from reaching its destination.

Here are the latest developments:

Israel’s military claims it has eradicated about half of Hamas’ military leadership

TEL AVIV, Israel — The Israeli military asserts that it has eliminated approximately half of the leadership of Hamas’ military wing, including over 175 top Hamas military commanders through targeted assassinations or larger airstrikes. This announcement comes amidst uncertainty surrounding the fate of Hamas’ top military commander, Mohammed Deif, following an airstrike on Saturday.

The military also claims to have eliminated over 14,000 Hamas militants during the nine-month conflict in Gaza and targeted around 37,000 locations during its intensive air campaign. The military indicates that 25,000 of these sites were Hamas military infrastructure, while others were civilian structures such as hospitals, schools, and shelters that were allegedly “cynically exploited” by Hamas militants.

Israel has faced criticism for its strikes on civilian buildings, but it maintains that these actions are “conducted in accordance with international law” to prevent Hamas from rebuilding its military infrastructure within civilian areas.

Israeli military set to issue first draft notices to ultra-Orthodox men

The Israeli military has announced plans to start sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men beginning Sunday. This decision follows a significant Supreme Court ruling mandating that young religious men begin enrolling for military service.

Ultra-Orthodox men had long been exempt from the draft, which is mandatory for most Jewish men. The system of exemptions, under longstanding political arrangements, had generated widespread discontent among the general public in Israel, particularly after more than nine months of combat against Hamas militants in Gaza. The court deemed the exemption system discriminatory.

This move could potentially destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which relies on the support of ultra-Orthodox parties opposed to changes in the system. It may also spark unrest within ultra-Orthodox communities.

17 individuals killed in Israeli airstrike within designated ‘safe zone’

The deadliest Israeli airstrike on Tuesday struck near a gas station in Muwasi, a southern coastal area designated as a humanitarian “safe zone” where the Israeli military had instructed Palestinians to seek refuge.

Officials at Nasser Hospital in nearby Khan Younis reported 17 fatalities. The surrounding areas are densely populated with tent camps accommodating thousands of Palestinians.

There has been no immediate response from the Israeli military regarding this strike.

Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza claim the lives of 24 individuals overnight

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Hospital records reveal that Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza resulted in the deaths of 24 individuals overnight into Tuesday.

The strikes in Nuseirat and Zawaida led to the deaths of 10 women and four children, as documented by Al Aqsa hospital records. The Israeli military stated that it “conducted targeted raids on terror targets” in central Gaza, without providing further details. Additionally, nine individuals were killed in strikes in southern Gaza late on Monday, according to medical authorities.

The escalation in violence comes as Israel and Hamas consider the most recent cease-fire proposal. International mediators are working to facilitate an agreement between the two parties to end the devastating conflict and release approximately 120 hostages still held by the militant group in Gaza.

Israeli police fatally shoot Palestinian who stabbed officer in occupied West Bank

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli police reported that officers shot and killed a Palestinian on Tuesday after he stabbed a police officer in the occupied West Bank.

Authorities stated that the officer sustained minor injuries in the attack and identified the Palestinian as a 19-year-old from the Gaza Strip. It is unclear why he was in the West Bank at the time.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli military reported that Palestinians opened fire on a vehicle in the West Bank, causing minor injuries to several Israeli civilians. In a separate incident in the region, forces fired upon a “suspicious vehicle” that was later identified as belonging to an Israeli individual. Two Israeli civilians sustained minor injuries as a result of the mistaken gunfire, according to the military.

The recent violence is part of a surge in violence in the West Bank since the onset of the Gaza conflict. The Palestinian Health Ministry reports that over 500 Palestinians have died in the territory during this period, with the majority perishing in clashes with Israeli forces. Some were killed while throwing stones or participating in protests against the military. A number of the casualties were not involved in confrontations with Israeli forces. Meanwhile, Palestinian attacks against Israelis in the West Bank have been on the rise since the conflict began.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels launch two attacks on ships in the Red Sea

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Two attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted ships in the Red Sea within the past day, confirmed by the United States Central Command on Tuesday.

Three small Houthi vessels, two crewed and one uncrewed, attacked the Panama-flagged and Israeli-owned MT Bently I off the coast of Al Hudaydah, Yemen, as reported by British and American authorities. The ship’s captain later reported three separate waves of missile attacks near the vessel.

Subsequently, in a separate incident off the same coast on Monday, the MT Chios Lion, an oil tanker flagged in Liberia and owned by Marshall Islands, was targeted by an uncrewed Houthi aerial vehicle, causing some damage and light smoke upon impact on the port side, as disclosed by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center of the British military.

All crew members on both ships are reported to be safe, according to the UKMTO’s advisory to mariners.

Late on Monday, the Houthis took responsibility for the attacks on Bently I and Chios Lion, with the U.S. Central Command later confirming the attacks and identifying the ships’ names and flags early Tuesday.

The Houthis claim that their attacks are aimed at ships associated with Israel, the U.S., or Britain in support of Hamas in its conflict against Israel. However, many of the targeted vessels have little to no connection to the war, including some en route to Iran, a backer of the Houthis.