US pushes for ceasefire as Israel intensifies Gaza assault: 50 dead in school attack
Shafaq News/ As the United States prepares to unveil a potential ceasefire deal in Gaza within days, Israeli forces intensified their operations across the enclave on Monday, killing at least 50 Palestinians, including 36 in a single strike on a school sheltering displaced families.
According to Arab media, the 'school massacre' in Gaza City's al-Daraj neighborhood marked one of the deadliest single incidents since Israel resumed its campaign 70 days ago, pushing the cumulative total to 53,939 killed and 122,797 injured since October 7, 2023.
متداول| طفلة تحاول النجاة بعد أن حاصرتها النيران جراء قصف الاحتلال مدرسة فهمي الجرجاوي التي تؤوي نازحين في حي الدرج بمدينة غزة. pic.twitter.com/BakgWZvcAH
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) May 26, 2025
An airstrike in Nuseirat killed Ashraf Abu Nar, a senior official in the territory's civil emergency service, and his wife in their house. Rescue teams also recovered 19 bodies from the rubble of a house hit in Jabalia al-Balad in northern Gaza, including local journalist Hassan Majdi Abu Warda and several family members, as heavy shelling and airstrikes targeted eastern and southern Khan Younis.
The Hamas-run Gaza government media office reported that Abu Warda's death raised the number of Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza since October 2023 to 220.
Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate. The World Health Organization said most hospitals in Gaza are operating only partially due to a lack of staff and critical supplies. The World Food Programme echoed those concerns, warning of "severe food insecurity" across the Strip.
Jake Wood—the CEO of the newly formed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, jointly backed by the US and Israel—announced his resignation. In a statement, Wood indicated that while he had helped develop 'a pragmatic plan' to address hunger and security in Gaza, it could not be implemented 'while also strictly adhering to the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, which I will not abandon.'
Despite his departure, the Foundation announced that aid deliveries to Gaza would begin Monday, though concerns remain over access, safety, and adequacy.
In Washington, President Donald Trump is expected to announce a ceasefire deal tied to a hostage release arrangement, according to Sky News Arabia. The report follows Trump's remarks on Sunday, where he expressed a desire to end the war, stating, 'We want to see if we can stop that [war]. And Israel, we've been talking to them… we want to stop that whole situation as quickly as possible.'
Still, Israeli media note that the campaign is expanding, with reports suggesting objectives aimed at reoccupying the entire Gaza Strip and destroying what remains of its infrastructure—despite increasing global pressure for a humanitarian truce.
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