The Palestinian city of Khan Younis came under intense bombardment overnight as Israel expanded its military offensive across the Gaza Strip.
According to the Palestinian news agency WAFA, 17 people were killed in the coastal enclave during the night. Details on the identities of the victims were not immediately released.
Medical sources in Gaza reported that at least six of the fatalities occurred in Khan Younis, where dozens more were injured amid heavy airstrikes. Witnesses described approximately 30 air raids targeting the area. The bombardment also caused widespread internet outages in the city.
Palestinian media, including WAFA, reported that a special unit of the Israeli army killed a commander of the al-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, a faction aligned with Hamas. This information has not yet been independently verified.
The Israeli military stated that it takes extensive precautions to avoid civilian casualties when targeting Hamas and other militant groups. However, these claims could not be confirmed due to limited access for journalists in the area.
The Israeli Air Force has ramped up aerial attacks across the Gaza Strip in recent days. On Sunday, Israel announced the launch of a new “extensive” ground operation. Civilian casualties continue to mount, with dozens of Palestinian deaths reported daily.
