Air raids in Deir el-Balah leave 3 dead, including 6-month-old Osama Abu Mallouh
The bodies of a young couple and their six-month-old baby arrived at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the early hours of Sunday after an air strike hit their home in Deir el-Balah, turning a family dwelling into rubble and grief for relatives who gathered at the morgue. Medical workers identified the dead as Mohammad Abu Mallouh, his wife Alaa Zaqlan, and their infant son, Osama Abu Mallouh, Reuters reported. [2]
Around the same time, Israeli jets carried out air raids across Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, leaving extensive damage in the area near the hospital, Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud said. The broadcaster also reported that the hospital received the bodies of the couple and their child as the attacks continued into the morning. [1]
The strike that killed the family took place on May 24, 2026, and was one of multiple raids reported in the central Gaza city that day. The deaths of the infant and his parents underscored the toll of bombardments on residential neighborhoods as medical staff dealt with the aftermath. [2]
The latest attacks come amid a war that has stretched on for years, following heavy fighting in November 2023 as aid groups warned delivery routes were collapsing, and subsequent Israeli raids in Gaza and the West Bank in December 2023. More recently, in February 2026, the conflict included renewed bombardment and pressure on hospitals, with warnings that operations could halt without fuel. [1]
Timeline· Developing
The Israeli military continues heavy bombardment of the Gaza Strip and has expanded raids into the West Bank in December 2023, including besieging a Gaza hospital causing significant civilian casualties, recently recovering three bodies of Hamas hostages, facing warnings from a UN agency to halt operations without fuel amid ongoing attacks, with U.S. intelligence confirming Hamas used Al-Shifa hospital as a command center, recent Israeli strikes killing at least 20 following the opening of a new front, while Hamas challenges the Israeli account of the Gaza hospital attack that killed 21.
U.S. intelligence says Hamas used Al-Shifa hospital
U.S. intelligence assessed that Hamas had used the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza as a command center, a finding cited by Israeli officials in the context of operations in and around hospitals.
Israeli military recovers three hostage bodies
Israeli forces recovered the bodies of three people identified as Hamas hostages in the Gaza Strip, an update authorities said highlighted the human toll and continued stakes of the conflict.
UN warns fighting blocks aid deliveries to Gaza
A UN agency warned that ongoing fighting in Gaza was preventing aid deliveries, saying humanitarian assistance could not be safely transported into affected areas.
Israeli strikes kill at least 20 amid fighting
Israeli strikes in Gaza killed at least 20 people as intense fighting continued across the strip, reflecting an escalation in ground and aerial operations.
Hamas disputes Israeli account of hospital attack
Hamas challenged the Israeli account of an attack on a Gaza hospital that Israel said killed 21, contesting details of the incident and casualty figures.
Bombardment and hospital siege kill civilians, journalists
Israeli forces intensified bombardment and a siege of Gaza hospitals, with reports that strikes killed journalists and other civilians; the UN warned that fuel shortages amid the attacks could force humanitarian operations to halt.
Sources (2)
Published May 24, 2026
Synthesized from 2 sources