Seven Palestinians Killed in Israeli Strikes on Gaza, Including Islamic University; Eight Wounded

GAZA CITY (Terror Monitor) — Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip killed seven Palestinians on Sunday, October 25, including three people at the Islamic University in Gaza City, while eight others were wounded in the university attack, according to hospital officials, university staff and Gaza’s Civil Defence agency.

The attack on the Islamic University occurred while students were reportedly attending classes. The three people killed were identified by university sources as members of the institution’s administrative or security staff, while the wounded included students, according to reports by Agence France-Presse (AFP) and other international media outlets.

Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City confirmed that it had received three bodies and treated eight people wounded in the strike. The incident raised renewed concerns over the safety of students, university employees and educational institutions across the Palestinian territory, where much of the education infrastructure has been damaged during the war.

The Israeli military initially told AFP that it was examining reports of the attack. A subsequent report by The Times of Israel, which cited the military, said the strike had targeted alleged terrorist operatives. The military’s account and the circumstances surrounding the attack could not be independently verified from the initial reports.

Four More Killed in Separate Attacks

Gaza Civil Defence spokesman Mahmoud Bassal said four additional Palestinians were killed in separate Israeli attacks elsewhere in the territory on Sunday.

According to Bassal, two people were killed in an airstrike in the southern city of Khan Younis, while another Palestinian was killed in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. A fourth person was reported killed in the northern Gaza Strip.

The separate incidents brought the reported death toll from Sunday’s attacks to at least seven Palestinians, based on the figures provided by local medical and civil defence officials.

The latest casualties came despite a ceasefire that has been in place since October 2025. Although the agreement was intended to halt the fighting, deadly incidents and allegations of violations have continued, leaving residents exposed to persistent security risks.

Gaza Education Ministry Condemns University Attack

Gaza’s Ministry of Education condemned the strike on the Islamic University, saying students had been present for classes when the attack occurred.

The ministry warned that the international community’s silence over attacks affecting students and universities risked encouraging further incidents. It also highlighted the extensive destruction suffered by the education sector during the war.

According to the ministry, approximately 95 percent of buildings belonging to higher education institutions in Gaza have been damaged during the conflict.

The ministry further said that 10 students and education-sector workers had been killed by Israeli fire during the six days preceding its statement, describing the latest attack as part of a continuing pattern of harm to educational institutions and their communities.

The figures were attributed to the ministry and were not independently verified in the initial reports.

The attack also renewed concerns about the ability of universities to resume normal academic activities when students and staff remain at risk. Gaza’s educational institutions have faced extensive damage to buildings, disrupted teaching, displacement and shortages of essential resources throughout the conflict.

Islamic University Among Gaza’s Damaged Educational Institutions

The Islamic University is one of Gaza’s prominent higher education institutions. Its campus and other educational facilities across the territory have suffered severe damage during the war that began in October 2023.

Reports from the ground indicate that much of the university’s infrastructure had already been destroyed or damaged before Sunday’s latest strike. The attack further underscored the challenges facing students attempting to continue their education amid repeated violence and widespread destruction.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has documented the extensive damage to Gaza’s education system. The Gaza Education Ministry’s estimate that 95 percent of higher education buildings have been damaged illustrates the scale of the challenge facing efforts to restore university teaching and academic services.

The loss of university staff and injuries to students add to the difficulties of maintaining educational activities. Even where classes can resume, institutions must contend with damaged facilities, limited resources and continuing security concerns.

Ceasefire Fails to End Violence

Sunday’s reported deaths highlighted the continuing fragility of the ceasefire in Gaza. The agreement, which took effect in October 2025, has not brought a complete end to deadly attacks across the territory.

Israeli officials have previously accused Hamas of operating in civilian areas and using public infrastructure for military purposes. Hamas has rejected such accusations. The claims surrounding the Islamic University strike require further clarification, and the initial reporting did not establish independently whether the site was being used for military activity at the time of the attack.

The United States, the European Union and several other governments designate Hamas as a terrorist organization.

The latest incidents have added to concerns over civilian protection and the future of Gaza’s already devastated education system. With students and educators continuing to face the consequences of the conflict, the restoration of safe learning environments remains a major challenge.

As of the initial reports on Sunday, local medical and civil defence authorities had reported seven Palestinians killed across Gaza, including three at the Islamic University, and eight people wounded in the university strike. Further details about the circumstances of the attacks and the Israeli military’s stated target were still emerging.