At Least 20 Dead in Gaza as Israeli Strikes Escalate, UN and Church Leaders Call for Urgent Ceasefire

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — At least 20 Palestinians were killed in new Israeli airstrikes across Gaza on Tuesday, according to Palestinian health officials. The escalation comes as ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas remain stalled, despite international pressure to end the 21-month war.

The latest casualties include women and children, with dozens more wounded. One of the deadliest strikes targeted tents housing displaced families in Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp. Twelve people died in that single attack, according to Shifa Hospital. Another airstrike near an aid distribution point reportedly killed eight and injured over 100.

The Israeli military has not confirmed involvement in the Shati camp strike and claims it does not target civilians. However, footage from the Gaza Health Ministry shows scenes of devastation, with bodies strewn across makeshift shelters.

Deir al-Balah Faces New Wave of Violence

Deir al-Balah, a central Gaza city that had previously avoided intense ground operations, was shaken by heavy bombing and tank shelling overnight. “It felt like an earthquake,” said resident Ayman Aby Hassan, who fled to the coastal Muwasi area for safety.

The Israeli military issued evacuation orders for sections of the city earlier this week, signaling a broader ground incursion into areas previously spared.

Ceasefire Talks Drag On as Hostage Crisis Continues

Ceasefire discussions have reached a critical point. One major sticking issue is the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, a demand Hamas has not accepted. President Donald Trump’s administration has grown increasingly frustrated with the prolonged conflict. On Monday, his press secretary said Trump was “caught off guard” by a recent Israeli shelling of a Catholic church in Gaza.

Hamas continues to hold an estimated 50 hostages from the October 7, 2023, attack, which initially claimed around 1,200 lives in Israel. Less than half of the hostages are believed to be alive.

Gaza’s Churches Hit, Leaders Demand End to War

In Jerusalem, senior Christian leaders condemned the war after visiting Gaza last week. Their trip followed a deadly Israeli strike on the territory’s only Catholic church, which killed three and injured 10 — including a priest known for his friendship with the late Pope Francis.

“This must end,” said Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa. “We saw a Gaza that is almost entirely destroyed. People are starving — women, children, the elderly — and humanitarian aid is not reaching them.”

Pope Leo XIV and President Trump both criticized the church strike. Israel later expressed regret and called it an accident.

UN: Over 1,000 Killed While Seeking Aid

The United Nations reported on Tuesday that more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to access food, water, and supplies since Israel restructured its humanitarian aid system in Gaza. Over 750 of those deaths occurred near aid sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a group backed by both Israel and the U.S.

The GHF denied widespread violence at its locations, but the UN has called for immediate reforms to prevent further loss of life.

A Crisis Deepening by the Hour

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 59,000 Palestinians have died since the war began — over half of them women and children. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, is still regarded as the most reliable source for casualty figures by the UN and other international agencies.

Cardinal Pizzaballa closed his press conference with a plea: “Every hour without food, water, medicine, and shelter causes deep harm. This is morally indefensible.”

Source: AP News