Death Toll Mounts in Gaza: 21 Palestinians Killed as Israeli Strikes Target Tents and Residences
By Lions Roar Aotearoa (Diyatha News New Zealand) International Desk
GAZA CITY, PALESTINE — Thursday, February 5, 2026 — At least 21 Palestinians have been killed in a fresh wave of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip today, as the humanitarian situation in the enclave continues to deteriorate.
The strikes, which primarily targeted residential areas and temporary shelters in Gaza City and Khan Younis, have claimed the lives of several children and a frontline healthcare worker.
1. Strikes on Shelters: Children Among the Victims
Medical sources at the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City confirmed they received the bodies of 13 people following strikes on the Zaytoun and Tuffah neighborhoods.
- The Victims: Of the 13 recovered from these neighborhoods, five were children. Reports indicate the missiles struck a cluster of tents and houses where displaced families had sought refuge.
- Khan Younis Casualties: Further south, in Khan Younis, an additional eight people were killed, including a sixth child.
- The Hero Doctor: Among the dead was a local physician who was reportedly killed while rushing to the scene of an earlier blast to provide medical assistance to the wounded.
2. Military Casualties Reported
International media outlets have also reported on the intensity of the ground combat coinciding with the airstrikes. According to reports, at least one Israeli soldier sustained “serious injuries” during an operational engagement in the northern sector of the strip.
3. Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The latest fatalities bring the total death toll in Gaza closer to new, devastating milestones. Residents in the Zaytoun and Tuffah areas described the scenes as “catastrophic,” with many families now completely homeless after their tents were incinerated in the blasts.
Hospital officials at Al-Shifa warned that they are operating at over 300% capacity, with medical supplies and fuel for generators reaching critically low levels as the conflict enters another bloody month in 2026.
4. Global Reaction
While the Israeli military maintains that it is targeting specific militant infrastructure and operational cells, the high number of civilian casualties—particularly children—continues to draw sharp criticism from international human rights organizations. Calls for an immediate ceasefire have intensified at the UN, though a diplomatic solution remains elusive.
