At least 20 people have been killed in Gaza following a fresh round of Israeli strikes, Palestinian health officials said on Tuesday, as Israel expanded its incursion into an area previously spared from heavy fighting during the 21-month-long war.
The escalation coincides with renewed efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, aimed at halting hostilities and securing the release of at least some of the remaining hostages.
Negotiations have dragged on for weeks without a breakthrough, mediators have expressed cautious optimism. A major sticking point remains Israel’s expanding control over significant portions of Gaza, with a potential troop withdrawal emerging as a central issue.
The Trump administration has reportedly urged Israel to bring the war to a close and has shown signs of frustration. On Monday, President Donald Trump’s Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said he was “caught off guard” by a recent Israeli strike on a Catholic church in Gaza.
Senior Christian clergy, who visited the church last week, held a press conference in Jerusalem on Tuesday, calling for an immediate end to the war.
Strike on refugee camp and aid seekers kills 20
One of the strikes reportedly hit tents sheltering displaced civilians in the densely populated Shati refugee camp on the western edge of Gaza City, killing at least 12 people, according to Gaza’s Shifa Hospital, AP reported.
The Israeli military said it was unaware of any such strike carried out by its forces.
Dr Mohamed Abu Selmiyah, director of the hospital, told The Associated Press that the victims included three women and three children. He said 38 other Palestinians were wounded.
Footage released by the Health Ministry’s ambulance and emergency service showed torn tents and several of the deceased lying on the ground.
An overnight strike in Gaza City, targeting crowds waiting for aid trucks, left eight people dead and at least 118 wounded, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent, AP reported.
Ahmed Mhana, who had been waiting along the coastal road, said the crowd was struck twice by Israeli aircraft. The Israeli military has not commented on the incident.
Israel maintains that civilian casualties are the result of Hamas operating in densely populated areas and has blamed the group for prolonging the conflict by refusing to accept ceasefire terms, which include disarmament and relinquishing power.
Heavy shelling reported in Deir al-Balah
In Deir al-Balah, central Gaza — an area previously untouched by major ground operations — residents reported intense shelling and heavy explosions overnight.
“It was non-stop,” said Ayman Aby Hassan. “We felt that the area was shaking, as if there was an earthquake.”
Hassan, in his forties, fled from the southwestern part of Deir al-Balah following an Israeli incursion earlier this week, seeking refuge in the coastal Muwasi area.
Earlier in the week, the Israeli military had issued evacuation orders for parts of the city.
Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people during the 7 October 2023 attack that triggered the war and killed approximately 1,200 people. Of the 50 hostages believed to remain in Gaza, fewer than half are thought to be alive.
According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, more than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed during the conflict. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government, does not distinguish between civilian and militant casualties, but says over half of those killed are women and children. Despite its affiliation, the UN and other international organisations regard the ministry as the most credible source of casualty data in the region.
Church leaders call for end to war after Gaza visit
In Jerusalem, top Christian leaders appealed to the international community to help end the war following a rare visit to Gaza last week.
Their visit came a day after Israel shelled Gaza’s only Catholic church, killing three people and injuring 10 others, including a priest known to have had a close relationship with the late Pope Francis.
The strike drew condemnation from Pope Leo XIV and President Trump, and prompted a statement of regret from Israeli officials, who described the incident as accidental.
“It is time to end this nonsense, end the war,” said Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa at the press conference.
Access to Gaza has been heavily restricted by Israel since the war began, though church leaders have made occasional visits for religious observances.
Cardinal Pizzaballa and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III described the enclave as “almost totally destroyed.”
They recounted seeing elderly people, women and children who were “totally starved and hungry”, and called for urgent international aid.
“Every hour without food, water, medicine, and shelter causes deep harm,” Pizzaballa said. “It is morally unacceptable and unjustifiable.”
Over 1,000 killed while seeking aid, says UN
Israel has significantly reduced the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. Even when aid is allowed in, its distribution is often marred by violence and chaos.
On Tuesday, the United Nations reported that more than 1,000 people had been killed while trying to access aid since Israel altered the distribution mechanism. The UN accused Israel of responsibility, stating that over 750 of those deaths occurred “in the vicinity” of aid points managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation — a group backed by both Israel and the United States.
The foundation has mostly denied that violence occurs at its distribution sites.
(With AP inputs)