Israeli attacks kill eight across Gaza, strike damages university campus

• At least eight Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza, including three security guards at the Islamic University

• Further casualties were reported across Gaza despite the October 2025 ceasefire. Nearly 95 per cent of Gaza’s higher education campuses have been damaged or destroyed

• Gaza faces worsening food shortages and restricted aid access, with 74,544 deaths and 175,692 injuries reported since October 2023

At least eight Palestinians have been killed in a series of Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip, including an air strike on the campus of the Islamic University in Gaza City that killed three security guards. The attacks also injured students and civilians in several locations, further deepening the humanitarian crisis in the war-ravaged territory, the Al Jazeera reported.

The latest violence targeted areas in northern, central and southern Gaza, with reports of casualties from air strikes, drone attacks and shelling. The assault on the Islamic University campus was particularly devastating, striking an institution that has already suffered extensive destruction during Israel’s military campaign since October 2023.

Three security guards were killed on Sunday when an Israeli air strike hit the Islamic University campus in Gaza City. The attack was the second reported strike targeting the university within a few hours, the Al Jazeera reported.

The incident highlights the continuing risks faced by civilians and media workers in Gaza, where repeated attacks have devastated residential neighbourhoods, educational institutions and other civilian infrastructure.

The deadly air strike followed an earlier drone attack on the same university campus, which injured seven female students after flying shrapnel struck the area.

The attacks have raised further concerns about the safety of students and educational facilities in Gaza, where universities have struggled to operate amid widespread destruction, displacement and shortages of essential services.

The Islamic University, once an important centre of higher education in Gaza, has already sustained extensive damage. Mahmoud said that most of its buildings had been destroyed before Sunday's attacks, leaving only a few structures partially standing.

The latest strikes have added to the destruction of an educational institution that previously served thousands of students and contributed to academic and research activities in the Palestinian territory.

The violence was not confined to Gaza City. Palestinian medical authorities and local news reports recorded additional deaths and injuries in several parts of the Strip.

In southern Gaza, the Nasser Medical Complex reported that two people were killed in Israeli shelling in the al-Mawasi area of Khan Younis. Several others were wounded, including a child.

In central Gaza, one person was reportedly killed in an Israeli drone strike east of Deir el-Balah.

Another person was killed and several others wounded in an attack on al-Rashid Street, near Hamad Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Later on Sunday, a further Israeli attack in the Sheikh Nasser neighbourhood, east of Khan Younis, killed another man and injured several other people.

The reported incidents demonstrate the geographical spread of the violence, with civilians facing continued danger in multiple areas despite the ceasefire that began in October 2025.

The Popular Resistance Committees in Palestine condemned the attacks on the Islamic University campus and called on mediators and international guarantors to intervene to halt what the group described as Israeli violations.

The appeal comes amid persistent concerns over the effectiveness of the ceasefire arrangements and the continued loss of civilian lives.

The latest attacks have also renewed questions about the protection of educational institutions and other civilian facilities during the ongoing conflict.

The damage to the Islamic University reflects the broader collapse of Gaza's higher education infrastructure.

According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), nearly 95 per cent of higher education campuses in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged since Israel's military campaign began in October 2023.

The destruction has severely disrupted university education, research, academic employment and students' ability to continue their studies. Many institutions have faced the loss of buildings, laboratories, libraries and other essential facilities.

For students, the consequences extend beyond interrupted classes and examinations. Continued attacks, displacement and the lack of safe learning spaces have undermined access to education at a time when many young Palestinians are already coping with profound personal and economic losses.

Figures released by the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza indicate that at least 1,551 Palestinians have been killed and 5,573 injured since the ceasefire began in October 2025.

The ministry's reported cumulative figures put the total death toll from Israel's war on Gaza since October 2023 at 74,544, with at least 175,692 people wounded.

These figures reflect the immense human cost of the conflict, which has resulted in widespread civilian casualties, destruction of infrastructure and repeated displacement. The reported figures are attributed to Gaza's health authorities.

The continuation of deadly attacks despite the ceasefire has intensified concerns over the security of civilians and the durability of the arrangements intended to reduce hostilities.

Alongside the ongoing violence, Israel continues to maintain military control over, or impose restrictions on, large areas of the Gaza Strip. According to the report, almost two-thirds of the territory is now under Israeli military control or subject to Israeli restrictions.

These conditions have further complicated the movement of civilians, access to essential services and the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Palestinians are also confronting an escalating food crisis amid continuing closures of crossings into Gaza and reduced international funding for aid programmes. Restrictions on the entry of supplies, together with funding shortages, have placed additional pressure on already overstretched humanitarian operations.

The worsening food situation has heightened concerns about the availability of food, medical supplies and other basic necessities for families displaced by the conflict.

The attacks across Gaza, particularly the deadly strike on the Islamic University campus, underscore the continuing vulnerability of civilians even in places associated with education and community life.

The deaths of the three security guards, the injuries suffered by female students and the additional casualties reported in Khan Younis, Deir el-Balah and other locations illustrate the continuing human toll of the violence.

With much of Gaza's educational infrastructure damaged or destroyed, large sections of the population displaced, and humanitarian access constrained, the territory faces enormous challenges in protecting civilians and rebuilding essential services.

The latest incidents have renewed calls for international intervention to prevent further attacks, protect civilian life and ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches those who need it.

For Gaza's residents, the continuing violence and deepening humanitarian emergency mean that the prospect of lasting security, access to education and a return to normal life remains uncertain.