Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens in Gaza Despite October Ceasefire

The Israel Defense Forces conducted a series of airstrikes and drone attacks across the Gaza Strip between July 16 and July 18, 2026, killing at least 23 Palestinians. The most lethal incident occurred on July 17 in the Nuseirat refugee camp, where a drone strike on a funeral procession in the Al-Balata market area killed eight people and wounded 22. The funeral was for a Palestinian killed by a separate Israeli strike earlier that day.

Other operations targeted residential apartments and shelters for displaced people in Gaza City, Beit Lahia, and Khan Younis. On July 16, drone strikes in the Zeitoun and Nasr neighborhoods of Gaza City killed nine people, including three children. The Israeli military stated it targeted a Palestinian Islamic Jihad cell in Nuseirat and Hamas infrastructure in Gaza City, though it acknowledged that uninvolved individuals were harmed.

These actions occur despite a ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025. The Ministry of Health of Gaza reports that at least 1,127 Palestinians have been killed since the truce took effect, while Israel reports five soldiers and one contractor dead. Hamas condemned the Nuseirat strike as a "brutal massacre" and a "heinous crime," calling for United Nations intervention. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data project noted that Israeli strikes reached their highest monthly level since the ceasefire began.