At least 120 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the US-Israel war on Iran paused on April 8, 2026, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
A new conflict monitoring report has revealed a sharp escalation in Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, with attacks increasing by about 35 percent since the end of Israel’s joint bombing campaign with the United States against Iran.
The report, published by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), says Israeli forces carried out significantly more strikes in April compared to March, shifting operational focus back to Gaza after months of regional escalation.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, at least 120 Palestinians, including women and children, have been killed in recent weeks. Officials say the rise in casualties represents a 20 percent increase compared with the period when Israel was actively engaged in strikes on Iran.
Survivors in Gaza describe continued devastation despite earlier ceasefire announcements. One resident, Lafi al-Najjar, who lost his son in an airstrike, said fighting has not truly stopped on the ground, with families still living amid destroyed neighbourhoods and overcrowded shelters.
The Israeli military has not publicly explained the reported increase in strikes.
A US and Qatar-brokered ceasefire agreement, intended to reduce large-scale fighting in Gaza, has been in place since October. However, reports indicate that Israeli forces remain active in parts of the territory, with continued restrictions on aid deliveries and reconstruction efforts.
Humanitarian agencies say more than two million Palestinians are now living in severely damaged conditions, with many displaced into temporary shelters along Gaza’s coastline. Large areas of the enclave remain under Israeli control, with widespread destruction of infrastructure.
Since the ceasefire began, hundreds of Palestinians and several Israeli soldiers have reportedly been killed in ongoing clashes and targeted operations involving armed groups.
The situation has also unfolded alongside wider regional tensions, including Israeli military operations in Lebanon following earlier strikes linked to the broader Iran conflict. Despite separate ceasefire arrangements in Lebanon, fighting has continued in some areas.
Analysts warn that the continued escalation in Gaza risks further destabilising the region and worsening what humanitarian organisations already describe as one of the world’s most severe crises.
