39 Killed in Israeli Strikes Across Gaza: Officials

Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 39 people on Thursday, most of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The latest wave of attacks comes amid a renewed military offensive that began over a month ago, following the collapse of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Eleven people were reportedly killed when a residential home in Gaza City was hit Thursday afternoon, adding to 28 earlier deaths confirmed by officials that same day. The strikes targeted multiple areas of the densely populated territory.

Israel has imposed a near-total blockade on Gaza since early March, cutting off food, fuel, and other essential supplies. The move is part of a strategy to pressure Hamas into releasing the remaining hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. At that time, Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people—mostly civilians—and abducted 251. While many have since been released in negotiated exchanges, 59 remain in captivity, with 24 believed to be alive.

Hamas has said it will not release additional hostages without a permanent ceasefire, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza—demands Israel has so far rejected. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to dismantle Hamas completely.

The ongoing war has devastated Gaza. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 51,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the conflict, the majority of them women and children. Israel claims that roughly 20,000 of those killed were militants, though it has not provided independent verification.

In a separate development, the Israeli military acknowledged Wednesday that one of its tanks was responsible for the March 19 strike on a U.N. guesthouse in Gaza that killed a U.N. staffer and injured five others. The military initially denied responsibility but later said the building was mistakenly targeted due to "assessed enemy presence" and had not been identified as a U.N. facility at the time. The incident prompted the United Nations to scale back its operations in Gaza, citing staff safety.

Yom HaShoah Observed Amid War

As the conflict continues, Israelis paused Thursday morning to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day. A two-minute siren brought the country to a standstill in memory of the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust. Speaking at a ceremony at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Netanyahu linked the lessons of the Holocaust to the ongoing war, vowing to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and to continue the fight against Hamas.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog marked the day in Poland, joining Holocaust survivors and former hostages for the annual March of the Living at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Protests Greet Israeli Minister at Yale

Meanwhile, Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, known for his far-right views and criminal convictions related to incitement and extremism, was met with protests during a visit to Yale University. Students reportedly booed and threw water bottles at the minister, who had been invited by a Jewish student group not officially affiliated with the university.

Ben-Gvir, who oversees Israeli police forces, said he discussed the Holocaust and current conflict with students and professors, and vowed not to be "intimidated by antisemitic rioters."

Escalation Continues

The strikes on Thursday followed a pattern of intensified bombardments. In northern Gaza’s Jabaliya area, nine people were killed in a strike on what Israel said was a command center for Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In Khan Younis, seven more died, including a mother and her two children. Central Gaza saw six fatalities, while a strike on a home in Gaza City killed four children and their parents.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate amid the ongoing blockade and daily bombardments.