Israeli military strikes killed at least 23 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including a local journalist and a senior civil defense official, according to health authorities in the territory.
The deaths resulted from separate airstrikes in Khan Younis in the south, Jabalia in the north and Nuseirat in central Gaza, medics said.
In Jabalia, a strike hit the home of local journalist Hassan Majdi Abu Warda, killing him and several members of his family, according to medical officials. In Nuseirat, another airstrike killed Ashraf Abu Nar, a senior official in Gaza’s civil emergency service, and his wife in their home.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
Gaza’s government media office said Abu Warda’s death brought the number of Palestinian journalists killed since the start of the war on Oct. 7, 2023, to 220.
In a separate statement, the office said Israeli forces now control 77% of the Gaza Strip through a combination of ground operations, evacuation orders and bombardments that have displaced much of the population.
The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad said Sunday that their fighters carried out several ambushes and attacks on Israeli troops across Gaza, using explosive devices and anti-tank rockets.
On Friday, the Israeli military said it carried out strikes overnight in Gaza, hitting 75 targets including weapons storage sites and rocket launchers.
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
The war has since killed more than 53,900 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and devastated much of the territory. Aid groups report widespread signs of severe malnutrition.
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