Israel launched fresh strikes in Gaza on October 7, 2026, marking the third anniversary of the devastating attacks by Hamas. The Israeli military confirmed that it had targeted and killed two Hamas terrorists who had exited Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip. According to the military, one of the terrorists had planted explosives near the Yellow Line, an area that demarcates Hamas and Israeli military control in the Gaza Strip.
The Gaza Strip's civil defence identified one of the dead as Mohamed Tamous, a volunteer for the agency that serves as an emergency rescue service under Hamas. The Israeli military also confirmed that Tamous was a sniper in Hamas's military wing. In a separate incident, Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Yunis reported that a 60-year-old man, Hisham Ibrahim Abu Mustafa, was killed in an Israeli strike, with others injured.
The renewed violence comes as living conditions in Gaza remain dire, despite a US-brokered ceasefire that took effect in October 2025. Gaza City resident Mahmoud Abu Hasira described the situation, stating that after three years of siege, killing, and destruction, Israel has rendered the Gaza Strip "uninhabitable." Hundreds of thousands of displaced people continue to live in tent cities and makeshift shelters.
The ongoing crisis has had a devastating impact on Gaza's infrastructure and population. Israel's military offensive has displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza and killed more than 74,200 people, according to Gaza's health ministry. Since the ceasefire was declared last October, Israeli forces have killed more than 1,460 people in Gaza.
Residents of Gaza continue to face severe challenges, including soaring prices, hunger, and fear. Ahmed Nasser, a Gaza City resident, described the situation as desperate, stating that the war and famine have left them "hungry, fearful and displaced, living in tents and struggling with soaring prices." The situation remains grim, with many residents still living among the rubble of bombed-out residential buildings.
The conflict has also had a profound impact on the families of those affected. Bassam Nasser, a resident of Beit Hanoun, a largely destroyed city in Gaza's north, expressed his grief, stating that they had lost loved ones whose bodies still lie beneath the rubble. Many residents, like Nasser, were displaced in the early days of the war and continue to struggle to rebuild their lives.
The Israeli military claims to control about 60 percent of Gaza, including areas such as Beit Hanoun, while most of the Palestinian population lives in the remaining Hamas-controlled areas. Despite Israel easing restrictions on aid trucks entering Gaza after the ceasefire, many residents say that life remains extremely difficult.
Key points
- Three people were killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza on the third anniversary of the October 7 attacks by Hamas.
- Living conditions in Gaza remain dire, with hundreds of thousands displaced and struggling with hunger, fear, and poverty.
- The conflict has resulted in over 74,200 deaths and widespread destruction in Gaza.
