GAZA, Palestine: An Israeli airstrike targeted a mosque-turned-shelter in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, early Sunday, resulting in the deaths of 26 people, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. The mosque, known as Al Aqsa Martyrs, was also functioning as a shelter for displaced civilians amid the ongoing conflict. The Gaza civil defense initially reported 21 fatalities, which later rose to 26 with multiple others injured.
Israel’s military claimed responsibility for the strike, stating it was a “precise strike on Hamas terrorists operating from a command center within the mosque.” While the Israeli military has not provided a specific death toll, the event adds to the growing number of civilian casualties in the region as hostilities continue.
