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08-06-2026
GAZA STRIP: At least 11 Palestinians have been killed, including women and children, and dozens wounded in Israeli air strikes across Gaza City, according to medical sources and eyewitnesses.
Israeli aircraft struck at least four residential buildings in the Sheikh Radwan and Tel al-Hawa neighborhoods and Shati refugee camp in the early hours of Thursday, causing powerful explosions and panic among residents.
Among videos posted on social media, said to be the aftermath of the attacks, were distressing images of people trying to leave a building engulfed in fire in Shati camp.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Witnesses told media that three Israeli helicopters hovered briefly over Gaza City’s coastline before launching simultaneous strikes on the buildings.
Among those reportedly targeted was a Hamas commander in northern Gaza, Hassan Labad, who was killed along with his wife and three of their children.
A spokesman for the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency said the dead included two children with disabilities from the Labad family and three women.
Israel has carried out repeated air strikes in Gaza despite the US-brokered ceasefire deal, accusing Hamas of rearming and rebuilding its forces.
More than 940 people have been killed since the ceasefire took effect last October, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.
And with the world’s attention focused on conflicts elsewhere in the Middle East, the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, with a worsening humanitarian crisis and reported plans by Israel to increase the area of land under its control to 70%.
The Gaza war was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, when about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Israel responded by launching a military campaign in Gaza, during which more than 72,950 people have been killed, according to the territory’s health ministry.
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that he directed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to increase control of Gaza to 70%.
Speaking at a conference on Thursday, he said: “We are currently squeezing Hamas; we now control 60% of the territory of the Strip, you know this. We were at 50, we moved to 60. My directive is to move to,” he said before pausing as someone in the crowd said, “100”.
“Let’s go step by step. First of all, 70. Let’s start with that. We’re pressing them from all sides, we’ll deal with the remnants.” The expansion in control by Israel would contradict the terms of the Donald Trump-led ceasefire Israel and Hamas agreed to in October 2025. Netanyahu’s statement comes as Israel continues strikes on Gaza despite the ceasefire, and as Israel and Hamas remain deadlocked in indirect, US-brokered talks to advance Trump’s peace plan.
At least 738 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire came into effect in October, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures the UN considers reliable.
Netanyahu has made several public remarks confirming that the IDF controls more than 60% of the Strip, up from the 53% agreed in October. Under the ceasefire agreement, the IDF withdrew to a demarcation line, known as the “yellow line”.
The next steps in the 20-point peace proposal would see Hamas disarm and Israeli troops withdraw but indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian armed group have stalled.
On Wednesday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz wrote on social media that his country had “pledged to eliminate everyone who led the October 7 massacre” in 2023. (Int’l News Desk)
