Israel intensified its military campaign across the Gaza Strip on Monday, launching a fresh wave of airstrikes that killed at least 31 people, most of them women and children, according to local health officials. The strikes came as the conflict continues to devastate Gaza, sparking renewed accusations from genocide scholars and human rights groups that Israel’s actions amount to genocide — charges Israel has firmly rejected.
Explosions from airstrikes and artillery fire reverberated across Gaza City, which Israel recently declared a combat zone. On the city’s fringes and inside the crowded Jabaliya refugee camp, residents reported that robotic, explosive-laden machines were being deployed to demolish entire buildings.
Saeed Abu Elaish, a medic originally from Jabaliya, described the situation as unbearable. “Another merciless night in Gaza City,” he said, noting that families were running out of safe places to shelter.
Medical officials confirmed that at least 13 of Monday’s deaths occurred in Gaza City, with hospitals overwhelmed by casualties. Israel insisted its operations target only Hamas fighters but reiterated its long-standing position that militants’ presence in heavily populated areas is responsible for civilian deaths.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s population faces not only bombardment but also severe hunger. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the world’s authority on food crises, has already classified Gaza as being in famine. Blockades, repeated displacement, and the collapse of food supplies have left families without reliable access to meals.
Since the start of the war, Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported 63,557 deaths and over 160,000 wounded, with women and children accounting for nearly half of the victims. While Israel disputes these figures, the U.N. and many independent experts treat them as the most accurate available.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 251 others. Of those hostages, 48 remain in Gaza, and Israel believes only about 20 are still alive.
Amid this backdrop, the International Association of Genocide Scholars declared that Israel’s conduct in Gaza meets the legal definition of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The resolution, supported by 86% of members who voted, places Israel under growing international scrutiny. The Israeli Foreign Ministry dismissed the findings as “an embarrassment to the legal profession” and accused the organization of relying on Hamas propaganda.
Inside Israel, anger is also growing. Thousands attended the funerals of two hostages whose remains were recently recovered, venting their frustration at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for failing to secure the release of those still held captive. Many mourners accused the leadership of prolonging the war for political survival, while mass protests demanding a ceasefire continue to swell.
At sea, the Global Sumud Flotilla — an activist convoy of about 20 boats from 44 countries, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg — was forced to return to port in Spain after a storm made sailing unsafe. The group had planned to symbolically challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza, though previous flotillas have all been intercepted by Israeli naval forces.
Even as the flotilla’s departure is delayed, Israel has tightened restrictions on aid deliveries, particularly food, into northern Gaza, underscoring the worsening humanitarian crisis as the war grinds on with no end in sight.
