Israeli Strikes Kill 39 in Gaza Amid Renewed War With Hamas/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Israeli airstrikes kill 39 in Gaza, including women and children. The military admits it struck a UN facility in March. Protests erupt at Yale over visit by far-right Israeli minister.
Israeli Strikes Kill 39 in Gaza Amid Rising Civilian Toll — Quick Looks
- Heavy Bombardment: At least 39 people were killed Thursday in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, according to health officials.
- Civilian Deaths: Most victims were women and children, including families killed in their homes.
- Ceasefire Broken: Israel resumed its full-scale war in March, sealing off Gaza and ending humanitarian deliveries.
- Hostage Stalemate: Hamas says it won’t release hostages without a ceasefire and full Israeli withdrawal.
- UN Staff Killed: Israel now admits it struck a UN guesthouse in March, reversing earlier denials.
- Holocaust Memorial: Netanyahu used Holocaust Remembrance Day to double down on military operations and warn Iran.
- Yale Protest: Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir faced protests during a controversial U.S. campus visit.
Gaza Death Toll Rises to 39 as Israel Intensifies Offensive, Admits UN Strike
Deep Looks
April 24, 2025 | Israeli airstrikes pounded the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing at least 39 people, most of them women and children, as fighting escalates in the nearly three-week renewal of the war against Hamas. The strikes came as Israel acknowledged it was responsible for a March attack that killed a United Nations worker, marking a rare reversal in an increasingly chaotic and deadly conflict.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported the latest casualties from airstrikes across northern, central, and southern Gaza. An afternoon strike on a residential home in Gaza City killed 11 people, adding to an earlier count of 28. Victims included entire families buried under rubble.
Ceasefire Collapses, Blockade Deepens
Israel officially resumed its war against Hamas in March, ending a fragile ceasefire and implementing a complete blockade on Gaza’s 2 million residents. No food or supplies have entered since, a move Israel says is meant to pressure Hamas into releasing the 59 remaining hostages, 24 of whom are believed to be alive.
Hamas insists it will only release hostages if Israel agrees to a full military withdrawal, prisoner exchange, and permanent ceasefire. Israel has rejected these terms and vowed to destroy Hamas.
Admission: Israel Responsible for UN Staff Death
The Israeli military on Wednesday admitted that one of its tanks struck a UN guesthouse in Gaza on March 19, killing one UN staffer and injuring five. The military said the strike was based on an “assessed enemy presence” and that troops were unaware the building was a UN facility—despite prior notice.
The incident led the United Nations to scale back its operations in Gaza, citing security concerns.
Holocaust Remembrance Day: Somber Symbolism
The rising civilian death toll coincided with Yom Hashoah, Israel’s annual Holocaust Remembrance Day. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged continued military pressure on Hamas while invoking Holocaust lessons.
“The military pressure on Hamas will continue. We will destroy all its capabilities,” Netanyahu said. “We will return all our hostages and prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog traveled to Poland, where he participated in the March of the Living at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp alongside Holocaust survivors and recently freed Israeli hostages.
Yale Protest Greets Far-Right Israeli Minister
In the U.S., Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was met with protests during a visit to Yale University. Attendees booed and threw water bottles as the controversial far-right figure, convicted in the past for inciting racism and supporting terrorism, spoke to a student Jewish group not formally affiliated with the school.
Ben-Gvir dismissed the protest as “antisemitic rioting” and said he would continue his U.S. tour to advocate for Israel’s war effort.
“We’re not going to take it. We’re going to hit them right back,” Ben-Gvir said.
Strikes Across Gaza: Deaths Mount
Thursday’s attacks struck multiple locations across the Gaza Strip:
- Jabaliya: Nine people killed in a strike on a police station.
- Khan Younis: At least seven killed, including two children and their mother.
- Central Gaza: Six more dead, including two women and two children.
- Gaza City: A family of six, including four children, killed in a direct hit on their home.
The Israeli military said it was targeting Hamas and Islamic Jihad command centers, though civilian areas continue to bear the brunt of the air and ground assaults.
Background: A War with No End in Sight
The war began when Hamas-led militants launched a massive cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages. The assault led to an unprecedented Israeli military response that has since killed over 51,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Israel claims at least 20,000 of those killed were militants, but has offered no supporting evidence. The Health Ministry does not differentiate between combatants and civilians in its figures.
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