Gaza, March 20, 2025 – Israeli airstrikes killed at least 58 Palestinians across Gaza overnight and into Thursday, as fighting resumed following the collapse of a ceasefire. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the strikes hit several homes in the middle of the night, killing men, women, and children in their sleep.
The deadliest strike occurred in Abasan al-Kabira, near Khan Younis, where a house belonging to the Abu Daqa family was destroyed. Sixteen people were killed, including a father and his seven children, along with the parents and brother of a month-old baby who survived with her grandparents. The European Hospital in Rafah received 36 bodies, mostly women and children, while the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis and the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza also reported casualties.
The renewed violence follows Israel’s accusation that Hamas violated the ceasefire by rejecting a new proposal. On Tuesday alone, more than 400 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in Israeli strikes, the Gaza Health Ministry reported. Hamas, however, denies initiating any attacks.
Israeli ground troops have now advanced into Gaza for the first time since the ceasefire began in January. They have seized parts of a corridor separating the northern and southern regions. Israel has also blocked food, fuel, and humanitarian aid to Gaza’s 2 million residents, demanding the release of 59 hostages held by Hamas — 35 of whom are believed dead.
Hamas insists it will release the hostages only if Israel agrees to a permanent ceasefire and withdraws from Gaza. The group has expressed willingness to hand over control to the Palestinian Authority or a committee of political independents but refuses to disarm until Israel ends its occupation of Palestinian territories.
The war, now in its 17th month, began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Most hostages have been released through previous ceasefire deals, but Israeli forces have rescued eight living hostages and recovered the bodies of dozens more.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed nearly 49,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says more than half of the victims were women and children. Israel claims it has killed around 20,000 militants, though it has not provided evidence.
The war has displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population and left much of the territory in ruins. Many residents returned home during the ceasefire only to find their neighborhoods reduced to rubble. With no sign of a resolution, the conflict continues to devastate Gaza and its people.
