UN Reports 26 Killed in Gaza During Eid Holiday

Monitors in the Occupied Palestinian Territory reported a rise in Israeli attacks as families prepared for Eid al-Adha. On May 26, three airstrikes killed 12 Palestinians, including a teenage girl who died from injuries sustained in an earlier strike. One airstrike targeted four men in Middle Gaza, while two others were killed in Khan Younis when a strike hit their car. Another airstrike in Gaza City killed a Hamas commander, his wife, and three children. Reports stated that 10 individuals linked to the Al Qassam Brigades were killed in a subsequent strike on May 27.

Since the ceasefire began in October, Israeli forces have killed 922 Palestinians, with the total death toll since the October 7 Hamas-led attacks nearing 73,000. Among the deceased are at least 32 children and eight women. The blockade on Gaza is severely limiting access to shelter, medicine, food, and other essentials, leaving most of the population displaced in increasingly cramped conditions. Investigators expressed concern about expanding Israeli military operations in Gaza and their impact on humanitarian access and safety.

Ajith Sunghay from the human rights office highlighted the dire living conditions and questioned the ongoing military actions against civilians under such turmoil. On a separate note, UN aid coordination reported an airstrike near humanitarian facilities in Deir al-Balah on Thursday, with no casualties. The Israeli military had issued a shelter-in-place order before the strike. OCHA emphasized the need for additional crossings to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, as currently, only one crossing is operational. They also reported providing mental health support to over 10,000 people in May.