Monday 16 Mar 2026
A tent camp sheltering Palestinians displaced during the two-year Israeli offensive during a sandstorm, in southern Gaza, on March 14, 2026. (Photo/Reuters)
On Sunday, Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip claimed the lives of 13 Palestinians, including civilians and police personnel, marking a significant escalation in the region. The attacks hit residential areas in the Nuseirat refugee camp and vehicles in the central town of az-Zawayda. Among the deceased were a family—including a pregnant woman—and several security officers. This violence has drawn sharp condemnation from Hamas, who cited the strikes as a clear violation of the October ceasefire agreement. Diplomatic efforts are currently underway in Cairo, where a Hamas delegation is meeting with international mediators to address these violations and negotiate the next phase of the truce, which includes the critical reopening of border crossings that have remained closed since February 28.
At least 13 Palestinians, including two boys, a pregnant woman, and nine police officers, were killed on Sunday by an Israeli air strike in the war-torn Gaza, hospital authorities said.
The strike hit a house in Nuseirat, an urban refugee camp in central Gaza, killing a couple in their 30s and their 10-year-old son, according to the nearby Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.
The woman was pregnant with twins, the hospital said.
The fourth person who died, a 15-year-old neighbour, was taken to the al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat.
Another strike hit a police vehicle on the south-north Philadelphi Corridor at the entrance of the central town of az-Zawayda, the Interior Ministry said.
The bombing killed nine police officers, including Colonel Iyad Ab Yousef, a senior police official in central Gaza, the ministry said.
The Al-Aqsa Hospital, which received the bodies, confirmed the toll. It said 14 others were wounded.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on eitehr strike.
Continued ceasefire violations by Israel
The latest attacks come despite a ceasefire that took effect on October 10 between Israel and Hamas, with Israel frequently violating the truce.
Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem condemned the latest strike as “a blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement.”
The developments unfolded as a Hamas delegation was holding talks in Cairo with international mediators.
According to a Hamas source, the delegation met Nickolay Mladenov, a Bulgarian politician appointed as high representative for Gaza under Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative.
The diplomatic body was created after the Trump administration — alongside longtime mediators Qatar and Egypt — brokered the ceasefire that ended two years of devastating war in Gaza.
Calls for next phase of the truce
The Hamas delegation, led by official Nizar Rayyan, called for an immediate end to ceasefire violations and urged Israel to move forward with the next phase of the truce, including reopening border crossings into Gaza.
Israel closed all crossings into the territory on February 28 when it launched joint strikes with the United States against Iran, citing security concerns.
The Rafah Crossing on the Egyptian border remains closed, though Israel has since reopened Karem Abu Salem Crossing to allow limited humanitarian aid deliveries.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 663 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire began in October. Israeli officials say at least five soldiers have died during the same period.
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Source: TRT
