Israeli airstrikes killed at least three Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Sept. 19, health officials said, including the son of the territory's health ministry director-general.
One strike near Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza killed Basir Al-Bursh, the son of Munir Al-Bursh, the health ministry director-general, according to medics and family members. The Israeli military said it struck several militants on Sept. 19 without giving further information. Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that runs Gaza, did not immediately comment.
Palestinian authorities say more than 73,000 people have been killed in Israel's assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel in October 2023. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreed last year calls for the eventual reconstruction of the territory, but little progress has been made as negotiators have failed to agree on terms for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its troops.
Details of Strikes and Victims
Munir was seen in a Reuters video carrying his son's body, wrapped in a blanket, as mourners rushed it to Al Shifa Hospital by ambulance. "I was with him in the tent, and he said, Dad, they will target us, you and me together," Munir said in the video. "I said that is fine, we will go to heaven together."
The director-general added: "He [Basir] went outside the tent, and they struck him, and he was martyred. May God have mercy on him."
Family members and medics said Munir lost a daughter in an Israeli airstrike in December 2023 and was wounded in that attack. At Al Shifa Hospital, Munir could barely stand as mourners arrived to pay their respects, according to the report. The targeting of a health official's family member is part of a broader pattern, as the UN Human Rights Council passed a non-binding resolution in April 2024 urging nations to halt all arms sales to Israel to prevent further human rights abuses and breaches of international humanitarian law [1].
Elsewhere on the same day, a strike killed a man in Shejaia, east of Gaza City, while another hit a vehicle in the Sheikh Radwan district of Gaza City, killing one person, the civil defense service and medics said, taking the total death toll to at least three. The Israeli military said the Sheikh Radwan strike targeted a Hamas militant; the blast reduced the vehicle to a mangled wreck. The strikes underscore the persistent violence that has continued despite the ceasefire agreement.
Israeli Military Statements and Hamas Response
The Israeli military said it struck several militants on Sept. 18 without giving further information. The military also said the Sheikh Radwan strike targeted a Hamas militant. No independent verification of the claims was provided in the report. Hamas did not immediately comment on the strikes.
The strikes come as Israel has faced mounting international criticism over its conduct in Gaza. The UN Human Rights Council has called for suspension of arms sales to Israel, and UN officials have warned of potential war crimes due to attacks on non-military sites [2]. The Board of Peace's High Commissioner Nickolay Mladenov told the UN Security Council that continuing attacks on Gaza are extending the conditions that caused the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, stating: "These strikes do not change the status quo that produced 7 October 2023. They preserve it" [3].
Hamas has signaled a willingness to halt military operations and transfer Gaza's governance to Palestinian technocrats under a long-term truce, contingent on Israeli concessions, though Israel remains skeptical and demands Hamas's disarmament [4]. The group has refused to surrender weapons, though it may consider storing them under foreign supervision, with Egypt and Qatar serving as key mediators proposing reconstruction aid [4].
Casualty Figures and Ceasefire Context
Palestinian authorities say more than 73,000 people have been killed in Israel's assault on Gaza, launched after Hamas-led fighters killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel in October 2023. A U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreed last year calls for the eventual reconstruction of the territory, but little progress has been made as negotiators have failed to agree on terms for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its troops. More than 1,300 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect, according to the territory's health officials, while the Israeli military says four Israeli soldiers have been killed.
The ceasefire, brokered by the United States in October 2025, has been repeatedly violated according to multiple reports. Mladenov warned that a collapse of the ceasefire would be a "point of no return" for the region, speaking to the UN Security Council after Israel rejected the 15-point roadmap for Hamas's disarmament [5]. Mladenov criticized both Israel's continuing air strikes on Gaza and the actions of Hamas [5].
The humanitarian toll has been staggering. Recent reports indicate that more than 100 Palestinians were killed in just two days of strikes in October 2025, despite President Donald Trump's directive for Israel to "immediately stop the bombing of Gaza" [6]. The strikes targeted densely populated areas. In 2025, Israel launched extensive air strikes across Gaza in its first major attack since a two-month ceasefire, with casualties mounting [7].
Current Situation
The total death toll stood at at least three, according to health officials, the civil defense service and medics. Hamas had not issued further comment at the time of the report. Ceasefire negotiations remained stalled over Hamas disarmament and Israeli troop withdrawal, according to officials.
The broader context includes ongoing regional tensions. Israeli airstrikes have continued in Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire, killing 127 civilians, including 13 in a Palestinian refugee camp, with Lebanon reporting 331 total fatalities. The UN warns of potential war crimes due to attacks on non-military sites, and over 64,000 Lebanese remain displaced [2].
In Gaza, the situation remains dire for the civilian population. The United Nations has warned of a mounting humanitarian crisis as Israel continues its military operations [8]. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts continue, with the U.S. reportedly using Israel's "global isolation" caused by a strike on Hamas's headquarters in Doha to push for the Gaza ceasefire deal, according to Jared Kushner [9]. The cycle of violence persists, with each new strike threatening to further undermine the fragile truce.
References
- "UN Human Rights Council passes resolution calling for suspension of arms sales to Israel". NaturalNews.com. April 09, 2024.
- Kevin Hughes. "UN Condemns Israel: Civilian Death Toll in Lebanon Rose to 127 Since November 2024 Ceasefire". NaturalNews.com. November 28, 2025.
- "Board of Peace Chief Blasts Israel For Ignoring Gaza Truce". Antiwar.com. August 27, 2026.
- "Hamas Offers Long-Term Truce with Israel, Potential to Cede Gaza Control". NaturalNews.com. April 22, 2025.
- "Board of Peace's Gaza envoy criticises Israeli strikes and Hamas actions". BBC. August 27, 2026.
- Kevin Hughes. "Israeli airstrikes continue to pound Gaza despite Trump-ordered cease-fire". NaturalNews.com. October 08, 2025.
- "From Qana to Gaza: Israel's kinetic attacks leave trail of civilian carnage". NaturalNews.com. June 17, 2025.
- "Israel kills children in intensifying attacks on Gaza over past day". Middle East Eye. September 01, 2026.
- "US used Israel's 'global isolation' caused by Doha strike to push Gaza deal, Kushner says". Middle East Eye. September 13, 2026.
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