Gaza Airstrikes Claim 13 Lives Amid Stalled Evacuations; Rafah Crossing Set for Limited Reopening

Israeli airstrikes struck central Gaza on Sunday, killing at least 13 Palestinians, according to local health authorities. The dead include two boys, a pregnant woman carrying twins, and nine police officers, highlighting the ongoing civilian toll despite a lull in major ground operations.

The first strike hit a residential building in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing a couple in their thirties, their 10-year-old son, and a 15-year-old neighbor. Al-Aqsa Hospital, which received the bodies, confirmed the woman was pregnant with twins. "We were sleeping and got up to the strike of a missile. The strike was strong," said neighbor Mahmoud al-Muhtaseb. "There was no prior warning."

A separate attack targeted a police vehicle on the Philadelphi Corridor near az-Zawayda, killing nine officers. The Gaza Interior Ministry identified one of the deceased as Colonel Iyad Ab Yousef, a senior police official, and stated the officers were monitoring markets during Ramadan. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incidents.

These latest fatalities occur against a backdrop of a severe humanitarian crisis exacerbated by border closures. Israel announced the Rafah crossing with Egypt will partially reopen on Wednesday for limited passenger movement after a two-week shutdown. The closure, initiated on February 28 citing security concerns, has stranded more than 20,000 patients requiring urgent medical evacuation, including approximately 4,000 cancer patients and 4,500 children.

"The situation is beyond critical," said Dr. Lena Khalid, a public health researcher with the Middle East Health Monitor, in a written comment. "Every day the crossing is closed, we are essentially signing death warrants for hundreds whose treatments cannot wait. The partial reopening is a bare minimum gesture that does not match the scale of the medical catastrophe."

According to the World Health Organization, aid truck entries are at a third of the required daily minimum. Gaza's Health Ministry reports severe shortages of medicines and supplies.

David Chen, a security analyst based in London, offered a different perspective: "While any civilian loss is tragic, the targeting of police officers in a corridor historically used for smuggling underscores the complex security challenges. The reopening conditions—requiring Israeli and Egyptian coordination—reflect legitimate security protocols, not just bureaucratic hurdles."

The closure and recent sandstorms have further devastated a population where, according to NGO founder Mohammed Salah, prices for basic goods have skyrocketed. "The term 'ceasefire' feels like a cruel misnomer to families in Gaza," remarked Sarah Jenkins, a former UN aid worker, emotionally. "Children and pregnant women are being killed in their sleep. Then we debate the 'partial reopening' of a single crossing while thousands languish. The world's moral compass is broken."

Meanwhile, Professor Anwar Hassan of Cairo University noted the regional implications: "The Rafah opening, however limited, is a fragile diplomatic achievement. It temporarily relieves pressure on Egypt and the EU border mission. But with nearly 440 immediately life-threatening medical cases on the list, the pace remains a death sentence for many."