Israeli Airstrikes Kill Dozens Of Palestinians, Including Children, On First Day Of Eid

On the first day of Eid, Israeli forces launched deadly strikes on Gaza, killing displaced Palestinians and devastating entire families.

On the first day of Eid al-Fitr, Israeli occupation forces carried out a massacre against displaced persons in Khan Yunis and launched intensive air and artillery strikes that resulted in dozens of casualties across the Gaza Strip. 

The attacks focused heavily on Khan Yunis and Rafah but also targeted multiple neighborhoods in Gaza City.

Al-Jazeera reported that since dawn, at least 20 people, including children and women, were killed by Israeli fire. 

The Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis received 17 casualties following Israeli airstrikes that targeted the southern Gaza Strip. Explosions from Israeli rockets and artillery shells echoed across Gaza in the early hours of Eid.

Al-Mawasi Massacre

In the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Yunis, Israeli warplanes bombed tents sheltering displaced Palestinians, killing at least nine people, including women and children. Palestinian media broadcast images of children killed in their Eid clothes after being struck while playing near the tents.

Air and artillery bombardment killed and wounded others in central Khan Yunis and in the towns of Abasan and Bani Suhaila to the east. 

In the Qizan Rashwan area, south of Khan Yunis, an Israeli airstrike targeted a tent sheltering displaced persons, killing four people and injuring others.

Bombardment of Rafah and Gaza City

Israeli fighter jets, helicopters, and drones launched intensive attacks on Rafah’s city center and nearby areas. 

Al-Jazeera reported that an airstrike on a house in the town of Al-Shawka, east of Rafah, killed one Palestinian, while Israeli drone strikes on the city center wounded 11 people.

The Israeli army announced on Saturday that it had launched a ground operation in the Al-Junaina neighborhood of Rafah, after previously advancing into Tel al-Sultan and besieging tens of thousands of residents.

Elsewhere, Israeli artillery shelled the Zaytoun neighborhood in southern Gaza City and the Shuja’iyya neighborhood in the east. Earlier, Israeli airstrikes killed two people in Jabalia, north of the Gaza Strip.

Prayer amidst the Bombing

Despite the relentless attacks, many Palestinians performed Eid al-Fitr prayers among the rubble of destroyed buildings and in partially collapsed mosques, from Khan Yunis in the south to Jabalia in the north. 

Hundreds prayed at the Great Omari Mosque in Gaza City, while others visited cemeteries to pay respects to those killed in previous attacks.

Resistance and Military Developments

Meanwhile, Palestinian resistance groups continued their operations. 

The Al-Quds Brigades announced that its fighters targeted an Israeli Namer military vehicle in the Shejaiyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

Additionally, Israeli media outlet Yedioth Ahronoth reported that an explosive device detonated under an Israeli tank in Khan Yunis, though the army claimed no casualties. 

The Al-Quds Brigades stated that its fighters had pre-planted the explosive device and also shelled the incursion area with mortars.

The Israeli army has announced an expansion of its ground operations in the southern Gaza Strip, stating that it has attacked dozens of targets over the weekend. 

Ongoing Genocide

The renewed Israeli violence on March 18 has broken a ceasefire that began on January 19. The latest military actions have killed hundreds of Palestinians and injured many more, primarily civilians, including women and children.

While the violations have been condemned by numerous countries and human rights groups, the US has continued its support for Israel, asserting that the military campaign was carried out with prior knowledge and approval from Washington.

Since October 2023, Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left Gaza in ruins.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.