KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — Mourners gathered in southern Gaza on Sunday to bury loved ones killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit a residential building in Khan Younis, as fighting escalated across the enclave.
The airstrike was one of several reported across northern, central and southern Gaza, as Israel intensified its military campaign that began Tuesday. Health officials in Gaza said at least 30 people were killed in strikes on Khan Younis and Rafah alone on Sunday morning. Among the dead, medics said, were three municipal workers.
At Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, bodies wrapped in white shrouds were laid out for prayer. Families wept over the deceased before their burial.
“We are not afraid of war,” said Um Tariq al-Shaer, whose relatives were killed in the strike. “Let us die in Gaza — we will not leave. This is our land.”
Her comments reflected a broader sentiment among many Palestinians who, despite ongoing displacement and destruction, have vowed to remain in Gaza.
The return of heavy airstrikes and ground operations has renewed international concern. Arab and European countries, including Britain, France and Germany, issued a joint statement calling on Israel to restore access for humanitarian aid and to agree to a new ceasefire.
Israel launched its campaign in Gaza following the Oct. 7 Hamas-led assault on communities in southern Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities. Militants also abducted 251 people, many of whom remain in captivity.
Since then, Israeli operations have killed more than 49,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and devastated much of the coastal territory. Hundreds of thousands are now living in tents or makeshift shelters amid mounting shortages of food, water and medical supplies.
With ceasefire talks stalled and aid convoys struggling to enter, residents and relief agencies warn the humanitarian situation is worsening by the day.
