Recent escalation of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and the West Bank

Between August 28 and August 31, 2026, Israel conducted a series of targeted airstrikes across the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, resulting in several civilian and militant casualties. In Gaza, strikes occurred in Al-Qarara, near the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, at a bakery in Deir al-Balah, and near the municipal park in Gaza City. Casualties included members of the same family, a three-year-old boy named Tayem Hamdan, and others. The Israeli military stated these operations targeted Hamas commanders and militants who were allegedly using civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals, to orchestrate attacks.

Simultaneously, a rare Israeli military operation took place in Jenin in the occupied West Bank. An Israeli drone strike targeted a vehicle carrying the leader of a Palestinian militant cell and two accomplices. These strikes continue despite a US-brokered truce established in October 2025, which significantly reduced large-scale hostilities but failed to eliminate all military operations. Israel maintains that its current actions are necessary to prevent attacks from Hamas and other armed groups. Palestinian health authorities and the Hamas-affiliated Civil Defense consistently reported that these strikes caused civilian injuries and deaths, with local hospitals struggling to manage the influx of casualties.