Escalation in Israel-Gaza Conflict: Rockets and Airstrikes Cause Heavy Casualties

TEL AVIV, Israel, and GAZA STRIP — A rocket hit a sports complex filled with children playing soccer in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights region Saturday afternoon, while earlier that day, an Israeli airstrike on a school in Gaza killed dozens and injured more than 100 people.

The airstrike in central Gaza, specifically in Deir al-Balah, targeted a school used as a shelter for displaced Palestinians. The Gazan Health Ministry reported that 30 people were killed and over 100 were wounded, with many casualties being children. The school complex, housing around 4,000 people, also functioned as a field hospital. No prior warning of the attack was given. The Israeli military claimed that the school compound was used by Hamas as a hiding place for attacks on Israeli units, and emphasized efforts to reduce civilian harm.

Following the airstrike, NPR reporter Anas Baba described the chaotic aftermath, including bloodstained floors, pieces of flesh scattered on stairs, and handicapped residents trying to escape. Video footage showed wounded children being transported on donkey carts and makeshift stretchers made from debris. Hospitals were overwhelmed, with bodies, many of them young children, lining the hallways.

Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for southern Gaza, including Khan Younis and Rafah, in response to rocket fire from Hamas. The UN estimates that over 80% of Gaza's residents, more than 2 million people, are under similar evacuation orders.

In a separate incident, a rocket fired from southern Lebanon killed 11 children and injured around 30 others, several critically. The Israeli military attributed the rocket fire to Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese militia, although Hezbollah denied involvement. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari of the Israeli military described this attack as the deadliest on an Israeli target since the conflict began on October 7.

PETZL Swift RL Headlamp Black/White, 1100 lumens with Reactive Lighting

Ultra-powerful and intelligent headlamp, 1100 lumens allowing you to see up to 155 meters away...

Add to Cart - $129.95

The rocket landed in Majdal Shams, a Druze-majority city in the Golan Heights, an area seized by Israel from Syria in the 1967 war. The strike has intensified concerns about a broader conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, given the high civilian casualties and the ongoing skirmishes along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was in Washington, D.C., returned to Israel early and will convene a cabinet meeting with top political and security officials. In a statement, Netanyahu expressed solidarity with the families of the victims and the Druze community, and warned that Israel would not ignore the rocket attack.

Hezbollah has denied responsibility for the rocket fire, and the Lebanese government condemned the attack as a violation of international law, denouncing all violence against civilians.