At least 18 individuals lost their lives and numerous others were injured in an Israeli air strike on a Gaza mosque early on Sunday, as reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa. The attack on the mosque, situated near Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al Balah within the central Gaza Strip, occurred as the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian territory nears its first anniversary. Eyewitnesses suggested that the number of casualties might increase as the mosque was being utilized to shelter displaced individuals.
The recent violence in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian dispute was ignited when Hamas militants launched an assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of approximately 250 as hostages, according to Israeli records. Israel's subsequent military operation in Gaza has led to the deaths of nearly 42,000 Palestinians, as stated by Gaza's health ministry. Additionally, it has displaced almost all of the enclave's 2.3 million inhabitants, exacerbated a hunger crisis, and prompted genocide allegations at the World Court, which Israel refutes.
