The Israeli military acknowledged on Wednesday that it had carried out an airstrike on a mosque in the Gaza Strip, claiming the site was being used by Hamas as a weapons storage facility.
The strike targeted the Al-Muttaqin Mosque near the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) building, with images showing a massive fireball and thick smoke rising above tents sheltering displaced Palestinians.
Following the attack, residents were seen searching through the extensive rubble and debris left behind.
Amir Abu Al-Amrain, director general of Gaza’s Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, said the airstrike had “completely destroyed” the mosque.
“The occupation cites false pretexts — such as the alleged presence of military sites — to justify these crimes,” he said, urging immediate international intervention to safeguard mosques and other places of worship.
According to UNESCO, as of March 24, 2026, it had verified damage to 164 cultural heritage sites in Gaza since the start of Israel’s military campaign, including 14 religious sites.
Reporting from Deir el-Balah, Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum said, “Israeli warplanes carried out a series of air strikes focusing on central and northern Gaza.”
“Yes, the whole area was warned, but a very narrow window of time was given for people to take precautionary measures,” he added.
Residents questioned the existence of any ceasefire amid the continued bombardment.
“Is this a ceasefire? Every day there are attacks, every hour, every breath. There are attacks everywhere. They threaten and strike, whether it’s civilian vehicles or anything else they bomb,” eyewitness Shehadeh Badawi told AFP after the attack.
In a separate Israeli strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp, one Palestinian was killed and at least 20 others were injured after a group of people in a crowded market was targeted.
Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, eight Palestinians were forced to flee their home in Abu Najim, near Bethlehem, after Israeli settlers allegedly set the building on fire, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Local residents said the settlers also torched a vehicle and spray-painted graffiti on the walls before setting the house ablaze.
The incident comes amid an increase in settler violence across the occupied West Bank, with Palestinians reporting attacks on homes and public spaces by Israeli settlers.
