Over 50 Palestinians killed in overnight Israeli strikes on Gaza

Israeli airstrikes overnight killed at least 55 people throughout the Gaza Strip, according to hospital sources. These attacks came shortly after senior Israeli officials revealed plans to capture additional territory in Gaza and establish a new security corridor aimed at tightening pressure on Hamas. The corridor, dubbed the Morag corridor, would separate Rafah from the rest of Gaza, further fragmenting the territory. The move follows Israel’s reassertion of control over the Netzarim corridor, which already divides Gaza’s northern region from the south.

In Khan Younis, 14 bodies—nine from a single family—were brought to Nasser Hospital, including children and women. Another 19, among them five children and a pregnant woman, were taken to the European Hospital. Gaza City’s Ahli Hospital received 21 more casualties. The Israeli military issued fresh evacuation orders for eastern neighborhoods of Gaza City, warning residents to flee before operations intensify.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated the purpose of these moves is to escalate military pressure on Hamas until all remaining hostages are returned and the group disarms. He also hinted at broader objectives to permanently reshape Gaza’s landscape and governance.

Wider Implications and Global Criticism

The proposed Morag corridor echoes the earlier creation of the Philadelphi route near the Egypt border and the Netzarim axis further north. Critics, including the Palestinian Authority, rejected the plans, accusing Israel of violating Palestinian sovereignty and preparing for de facto annexation. Calls have intensified for Hamas to relinquish control of Gaza, especially amid rare public protests against the group within the territory.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu continues to support a post-war scenario where Israel maintains security oversight of Gaza and encourages what he terms “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians—a proposal condemned by Palestinians as forced expulsion and a breach of international law.

Since the war began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack that killed around 1,200 people and led to the abduction of 251 hostages, Israeli military actions have claimed over 50,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Vast sections of Gaza are now in ruins, with nearly 90% of residents displaced.

In a separate front, Israeli airstrikes killed nine individuals in southwestern Syria, Syrian state media reported. While Damascus identified the dead as civilians, other sources said they were local fighters from Daraa province reacting to increasing Israeli incursions. The strikes also targeted multiple Syrian cities, including Hama, where Israeli forces hit areas near a major airbase.

Israel claims its operations in Syria aim to neutralize threats from hostile factions, but critics argue that such actions are destabilizing the region and hindering recovery in a country already devastated by years of civil war.