Israel Defense Forces Strikes Kill Palestinians Across Gaza Strip

The Israel Defense Forces conducted a series of airstrikes, drone attacks, and artillery barrages across the Gaza Strip and West Bank between September 18 and 20, 2026. These operations resulted in multiple fatalities, including Basir al-Bursh, the eldest son of Gaza Health Ministry Director-General Munir al-Bursh, who was killed in a drone strike near the Jabalia refugee camp. Other deaths included a 10-year-old girl north of the Nuseirat camp and several men in Gaza City's Shuja’iyya and Sheikh Radwan neighborhoods.

In Gaza City, strikes targeted a motorcycle in the Sheikh Radwan market area and a residential building that had been previously damaged, the latter causing 21 deaths including 12 children. Military activity extended to Khan Younis and Rafah, where forces shelled tents sheltering displaced persons. Simultaneously, the military carried out raids and arrests in the West Bank, while settlers fired on homes in Al-Mughayyir and severed a water line serving 700 residents in Masafer Yatta.

These actions occur despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire established in October 2025. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel will not withdraw troops or cease strikes until Hamas disarms. The Ministry of Health of Gaza reported that the region's health system is facing total collapse due to restrictions on fuel and medical aid, noting that nearly 1,400 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect. The total death toll in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, has risen to 73,910.