At least 26 Palestinians were killed overnight and into Wednesday during Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, with one strike hitting a shelter housing displaced families in the northern town of Beit Lahiya. Among the dead were 19 people, including four children, their parents, and grandparents, according to Palestinian medical officials and the Kamal Adwan Hospital.

The Israeli military has not commented on the incident but reiterated its stance of targeting militants and accused them of operating within civilian areas.

Meanwhile, militants in central Gaza fired four projectiles into Israel on Wednesday. Two were intercepted, and the remaining two landed in open areas without causing casualties, according to Israeli authorities.

The ongoing conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people, predominantly civilians, and taking 250 hostages. In response, Israel has conducted a massive retaliatory campaign in Gaza, with Palestinian health officials reporting over 44,000 deaths. Among the fatalities are women and children, though Israel maintains that over 17,000 militants have been killed in its operations.

In Gaza’s northern regions, Israeli forces have intensified their offensive, surrounding key areas like Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and the Jabaliya refugee camp. These areas remain heavily destroyed and cut off from essential humanitarian aid, with tens of thousands ordered to evacuate. The United Nations estimates that 65,000 to 75,000 people remain trapped in dire conditions, facing acute shortages of food, water, electricity, and medical care.

Sigrid Kaag, the U.N.'s senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, described the conditions across the region as "utterly devastating," warning of famine in the north. Efforts to broker a ceasefire have repeatedly stalled. Hamas has refused to release remaining hostages without an end to the conflict and a full Israeli troop withdrawal, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until Hamas is dismantled and all hostages are freed.

As the war shows no sign of abating, the international community faces mounting pressure to address the escalating humanitarian crisis and push for a resolution to the conflict.