Israel has launched new air strikes on Gaza following Prime Minister Benjamin

Israel has launched new air strikes on Gaza following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's order for retaliation in response to one of the most intense rocket barrages from Hamas in recent months.

The Israeli military reported that approximately half of the ten rockets fired from Gaza late Sunday landed in Israel, while the rest were intercepted. One individual sustained injuries from falling debris, according to Israeli medics. As he traveled to Washington for talks with US President Donald Trump, Netanyahu directed a "strong response." The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported on Monday that at least 56 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli forces in the prior 24 hours. A Palestinian journalist lost his life, and nine others were injured when an air strike hit a media tent in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, as reported by the Hamas Government Media Office and the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS).

Footage from Reuters showed people attempting to extinguish a fire in the tent, located within the compound of Nasser Hospital. The deceased journalist was identified by the PJS as Helmi al-Faqaawi of Palestine Today TV. In a joint statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet intelligence agency announced they targeted a "Hamas terrorist" posing as a journalist and owning a press company. The individual, named Hassan Eslaih, was said to have been involved in the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that initiated the current conflict. The PJS condemned the incident as a "horrific massacre" and urged the UN to take action against Israel for "targeting the entire Palestinian population, including journalists." Nasser Hospital, the largest functioning medical facility in Gaza, has been hit multiple times by the IDF since the conflict began. Israel has accused Hamas of using hospitals for covert operations and weapon storage, a claim that Hamas refutes.

Earlier, the IDF stated it struck the rocket launcher responsible for the attacks on Israel after instructing residents in various areas of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza to evacuate. IDF Arabic spokesman Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee warned that Israel would carry out significant strikes on any location from which rockets are launched. Hamas claimed the rocket fire was retaliation for what they termed "massacres of civilians in Gaza," according to Reuters.