Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza
More than 40 people were killed in Israeli air strikes on Gaza overnight on Sunday, the enclave's civil defence agency said, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged a “strong response” to a barrage of rockets fired by Hamas.
Hamas said it fired rockets at southern Israel on Sunday evening in response to the killing of civilians in Gaza. Israel's military said about 10 projectiles were fired, but most were intercepted.
Israel's Channel 12 reported a direct hit in the southern city of Ashqelon. Israeli emergency services said they were treating one person for shrapnel injuries, while footage showed smashed car windows and debris on the roads.
Shortly after the rockets were fired, the Israeli military issued new eviction orders for residents in Deir Al Balah, in central Gaza. Mr Netanyahu pledged a “strong response” to the rocket attack while on a flight to Washington for a meeting with US President Donald Trump.
More than 40 people, the majority of whom were women and children, were killed in air strikes across the war-ravaged enclave, according to Gaza rescue workers. Hamas called the strike “a deliberate act of child killing” and a “confirmation of the sadistic and barbaric nature of the occupation and its fascist leaders”.
Palestinian media reported on Monday that Israel attacked a tent housing journalists outside Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The Palestinian Journalists Forum condemned the attack that killed journalist Helmi Al Faqaawi and injured others.
Palestinian journalist Hamza Amin told The National that Mr Al Faqaawi was a “distinguished and dedicated” journalist who had made his way up the career ladder at a variety of local publications.
“Everyone knew him for his energy and persistence in keeping up with and covering events, especially the Israeli assaults on Palestinians,” Mr Amin said.
“The targeting of Helmi and his fellow journalists in Gaza today is part of a continuing series of assassinations and widespread targeting of journalists around the clock in Gaza, while the world remains silent, taking no action to stop the Israeli crimes against journalists,” he added.
Salah Abdel-Ati, director of the International Commission to Support Palestinian People's Rights called on the UN and High Contracting Parties to the Geneva convention to protect civilians and journalists.
“The occupation's bombing of the journalists’ tent this morning, resulting in the martyrdom of a journalist and the injury of six others – including journalist Hassan Aslih, known for his extensive field reporting in Gaza – is further evidence of its attempt to cover up its crimes committed day and night against civilians. It also reflects the ease with which it kills journalists, often under pretext, such as accusations of affiliation with Hamas or for covering the events of October 7 and others,” Mr Abdel-Ati said.
“This crime adds to the series of Israeli crimes against journalists, which constitute war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, and a blatant violation of all rules of international humanitarian law, especially the Fourth Geneva Conventions, which provides special protection for journalists,” he added.
A ceasefire brokered by the US, Egypt and Qatar ended on March 18 when Israel resumed its offensive in response to the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. Gaza has since endured a wave of relentless air strikes and artillery fire, with dozens of deaths reported on a near-daily basis.
The Palestinian National and Islamic Forces, a coalition of Palestinian groups including Hamas, has called a general strike across the Palestinian Territories for Monday in protest against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
The group said local and international efforts should be united to end the war and that the strike was intended to raise awareness of the killing of civilians.
French President Emmanuel Macron will hold a summit with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah II in Cairo on Monday, with talks expected to be dominated by the war in Gaza.
