Six members of a family were killed in an airstrike in central Gaza, with several injuries reported as well. The home of the Shaheen family was targeted, and the bodies of the deceased and injured were taken to a hospital in Deir Al-Balah. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that they are continuing their fighting in Dier al Balah and Bureij after launching a new operation. Palestinians in central Gaza have described the intensity and frequency of Israeli strikes as reminiscent of the start of the war. The IDF claimed to have struck numerous “terrorist cells and infrastructures,” including an underground tunnel concealed within a civilian structure, resulting in secondary explosions. The US military’s temporary pier off the coast of Gaza has been repaired and is allowing for the delivery of humanitarian aid to resume. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has added Israel’s military, along with Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, to a list of offenders who have committed violations against children. Former Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz has not announced any changes to his plan of withdrawing from the emergency government. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be traveling to the Middle East to discuss the need for a ceasefire agreement and hostage release.
