Ongoing Israeli Attacks in Gaza Leave Two Dead and Several Wounded Amid Dire Humanitarian Crisis

Palestinian mourners carried flag-draped body bags containing the remains of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks that were recently recovered from the rubble, during a mass funeral in Gaza City on August 20, 2026. At least two Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks in the last 48 hours, Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported, as numerous victims of past strikes remain trapped under rubble and inaccessible to ambulance and rescue crews. Additionally, four injured individuals were brought to hospitals in Gaza on Saturday, according to the Health Ministry.

An Israeli drone attack targeted the al-Hasanat family in the central city of Deir el-Balah on Saturday, resulting in one fatality and multiple injuries, as reported by Al Jazeera’s Ashraf Abu Amra from the city. Abu Amra noted that the assault occurred without warning in an area heavily crowded with tents of displaced people. Emergency medical and civil defence crews quickly rushed to the scene to transport several wounded individuals to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital.

Furthermore, Abu Amra reported that the Israeli army conducted two demolition operations in Deir el-Balah, with loud explosions heard from a distance as targeted houses collapsed into rubble. Israeli forces also advanced into the eastern part of the city, striking multiple homes while troops remained positioned near civilian areas along the eastern perimeter. Meanwhile, strikes and home demolitions persisted in other parts of the enclave, including the southern city of Khan Younis, where forces shelled civilian areas across from the military-controlled "Yellow Line".

In Gaza City, Israeli troops have advanced further eastward, expanding the "Yellow Line" closer to civilian zones and destroying local property and infrastructure. Local reports indicated that a woman was wounded by gunfire from Israeli forces near ad-Dawa Street, northeast of the Nuseirat refugee camp. Artillery attacks were also reported northeast of the Bureij refugee camp as military operations continued across the eastern sections of the Strip. Abu Amra emphasized that air and artillery bombardments have intensified in areas designated by the military as "humanitarian zones," where over two million people remain concentrated.

Despite a ceasefire agreed to in October 2025, Gaza’s Health Ministry stated that 1,285 Palestinians have lost their lives in Israeli attacks since that time. Overall, the death toll since the conflict began in October 2023 has reached 73,419 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children. Authorities note that this toll remains incomplete, with thousands still feared trapped under the rubble as the region struggles with a severe lack of burial space.