Palestine weekly: Ahead of elections, Israel doubles down on attacks

A week of intensive military operations in Gaza resulted in significant civilian casualties as Israel's political calendar accelerated toward elections. On July 17, shortly after parliament formally dissolved itself and announced an October 27 election date, an Israeli drone targeted a funeral procession outside Ahmad Yassin Mosque in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least eight people who were mourning a man killed earlier that day. The UN human rights office documented at least 57 Palestinian deaths during the seven-day period from July 13 to 20, including six children and eight women, and expressed concern that the pattern indicated potential violations of international humanitarian law and possible war crimes.

The week's violence extended across multiple locations and attack types. On July 15, a helicopter strike in Deir el-Balah killed Omar Sami Abu Qassem, his wife Asmaa Ghazi, and their six-year-old daughter Habiba, with only their three-year-old son surviving. Three days later, a warplane struck a residential building in Gaza City's Nassr neighbourhood without advance warning, killing Adham Nasman, his wife Marwa, and three of their children; Israel claimed Nasman was a Hamas commander, though the organization did not confirm this assertion. Artillery shelling in Zeitoun killed Rida Abu Asr as tanks advanced toward Dawla Junction. An overnight air attack on July 21 killed Firas al-Masri, his wife Salsabeel, and their four children as they slept in Gaza City.

Beyond residential strikes, Israeli forces targeted security infrastructure and displaced persons. Seven police officers, including the director of Jabalia's police station, were killed in an attack on a checkpoint on July 14. Tents sheltering displaced families in al-Mawasi were repeatedly struck throughout the week. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated during a tour of northern Gaza that he felt satisfaction from the destruction, characterizing it as resulting from deliberate policy. Katz also indicated that Israel was examining the establishment of three military-style settlement outposts in northern Gaza, remarks that coincided with a march by the Nachala settler movement to the Gaza border fence, accompanied by right-wing Israeli legislators including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.