Israeli airstrikes struck the Gaza Strip on May 17, killing at least four Palestinians. Three charity workers at a community kitchen in Deir al-Balah died when Israeli drones targeted a food distribution center near Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Another Palestinian was killed and four others injured in a drone strike on a gathering in Khan Younis. The Israeli military also advanced east of Khan Younis, expanding control past the so-called Yellow Line boundary, demolishing homes and displacing families [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Earlier in the week, airstrikes killed seven or eight Palestinians in Gaza City on May 15. Most sources report seven casualties, including women and children, struck in separate attacks on a residential building and a civilian vehicle. One report states eight fatalities occurred, with five killed in the building and three in the vehicle strike [6, 7, 8, 9].
On May 16, Israeli airstrikes killed two Palestinians and wounded three others while hitting a civilian vehicle near Al-Wahda Tower in Gaza City. The same day, Israel claimed to have killed Izz al-Din al-Haddad, head of Hamas’s armed wing, in a precise strike on Gaza City. While the Israeli military and some sources say Hamas confirmed Haddad's death, others note Hamas had not commented, leaving independent verification lacking [1, 6].
Since the start of the ceasefire in October 2025, Israeli strikes have killed approximately 870 Palestinians, including civilians and militants. Over 2,500 have been wounded in attacks across Gaza, according to multiple sources [1, 2, 10, 8, 9, 11, 4, 5]. Israeli forces continue to maintain partial military occupation over about 60% of Gaza’s territory demarcated by the Yellow Line [2, 11, 4, 5].
Mahmoud Basel, Gaza’s civil defence spokesman, said of recent strikes, "The missile was fired without any pre-warning or notification. We are talking about a number of [dead]. We are talking about a big number of wounded, among them families" [6]. Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary added, "This shows that Israel is not only targeting people, but also organisations serving the community across Gaza" [2]. Hamas labeled the strikes "a deliberate war crime and a renewed scene of the ongoing genocide against our people in the Gaza Strip" [2].
Israeli military operations and strikes continue as the situation remains tense, with the military advancing into new positions in Gaza. Further violence or developments may follow in the coming days.
