Deir al-Balah, May 26: Israeli strikes have killed at least 52 people in the Gaza Strip, including 36 in a school-turned-shelter that was struck as people slept, igniting their belongings. The military said it targeted militants operating from the school. Israel renewed its offensive in March after ending a ceasefire with Hamas and has vowed to seize control of Gaza until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed, and until it returns the remaining 58 hostages, a third of whom are believed to be alive, from the October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war.
A new aid system supported by Israel and the United States but rejected by UN agencies and aid groups is expected to begin operations as soon as Monday. Israel plans to seize full control of Gaza and facilitate voluntary migration of its over two million population, a plan rejected by Palestinians and much of the international community.
Israel’s military campaign has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and internally displaced around 90% of its population. Many have fled multiple times. A strike on a school in the Daraj neighborhood of Gaza City also wounded dozens of people, with a father and his five children among the dead. The military said it targeted a militant command and control center inside the school that Hamas and Islamic Jihad used to gather intelligence for attacks.
A separate strike on a home in Jabalya in northern Gaza killed 16 members of the same family, including five women and two children. Palestinian militants fired three projectiles from Gaza, two of which fell short within the territory and a third that was intercepted, according to the Israeli military.
Israel plans to roll out a new aid distribution system run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, made up of former humanitarian, government, and military officials, that would set up distribution points guarded by private security firms. UN agencies and major aid groups have refused to cooperate with the planned US-backed system, saying it would force even more displacement, fail to meet local needs, and violate humanitarian principles.
Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251 people in the 2023 attack.
US-backed group plans to start aid operations
Israeli strikes killed dozens in Gaza, including people sheltering in a school targeted for militants. Israel vows to fight until Hamas is destroyed and all hostages from the October 7 attack are freed. After a 2 1/2 months blockade, limited aid entered Gaza amid famine warnings. The US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation plans to distribute aid despite opposition from UN agencies, which fear displacement and loss of neutrality.
In Jerusalem, Netanyahu announced plans to develop the city and encourage foreign embassies to relocate, reinforcing Israel’s claim over East Jerusalem, which Palestinians seek as their capital. Nationalist youths marched through Muslim neighborhoods on Jerusalem Day, heightening tensions.
Germany’s Chancellor criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza as unjustifiable. Israeli protesters, including a lawmaker, stormed a UN compound amid disputed accusations of Hamas ties. Hamas warned Palestinians against cooperating with the new aid group.
US Homeland Security Secretary Noem visited Israel after a Washington shooting targeting Israeli embassy staff. (AP)
