Israeli forces unleashed intense bombardment on Gaza City and Khan Yunis on Tuesday, killing at least 22 Palestinians, including children, as nearly 900,000 remain trapped under siege.

Gaza City has been under relentless Israeli bombardment from airstrikes, artillery fire since dawn on Tuesday, and the detonation of explosive-rigged military vehicles in residential neighborhoods, including Tel al-Hawa, Al-Jazeera reported.

In Khan Yunis, southern Gaza, two Palestinians were killed in continuing strikes.

Hospital sources in Gaza confirmed that at least 22 Palestinians have been killed since morning, 18 of them in Gaza City.

According to Al-Jazeera, Israeli forces detonated three booby-trapped military vehicles in Tel al-Hawa and al-Sabra neighborhoods. 

Meanwhile, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that Israeli raids targeted Al-Rimal, Al-Nasr, Sheikh Radwan, Al-Daraj, and Al-Zaytoun, sending thick plumes of smoke over the city.

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One airstrike near the Samer Junction reportedly damaged the Palestinian Medical Relief Clinic. Military vehicles were deployed in southern Al-Rimal and near the Jordanian field hospital, while explosive-laden vehicles were detonated inside civilian homes in Tel al-Hawa and southern Al-Rimal.

WAFA added that Israeli forces were also stationed near Al-Oyoun Junction in Al-Nasr neighborhood, along Al-Jalaa Street, as well as near Sheikh Radwan Pool and Al-Sudaniya, north of Gaza City.

Emergency sources reported nine Palestinians killed in a strike on a residential building in central Gaza City, with many still missing under the rubble. In Shati refugee camp, five Palestinians, including three children, were killed when their home was bombed.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital confirmed two more deaths and several injuries when a displaced persons’ tent was struck in Al-Zawayda, central Gaza. Local media also reported injuries from another strike on Hamid Street in Shati camp.

Despite the heavy bombardment, nearly 900,000 Palestinians remain trapped in Gaza City—some unwilling to leave, others unable to afford the perilous and costly displacement southward.

In Khan Yunis, two fishermen were shot dead by Israeli gunboats. The area around the Jasser Building in the city center was also targeted.

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Ongoing Genocide

Since reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, Israel has continued its bloody aerial bombardment across the Gaza Strip, killing and wounding thousands of Palestinians.

Starting on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military, with American support, launched a genocidal war against the people of Gaza. This campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of more than 65,000 Palestinians, with more than 165,000 wounded. The vast majority of the population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.

In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.

Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.

(PC, AJA)