At least 10 killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza since dawn

At least 10 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes across the Gaza since dawn on Friday, according to medical sources.

Five of the dead were killed in an attack on a displaced persons camp in southern Gaza.

Staff at the Nasser Medical Complex confirmed that the strike also injured at least 10 others.

An Israeli tank manoeuvres near heavy machinery with the destruction of northern Gaza evident in the background [Amir Cohen/Reuters]

Explosions send smoke into the air in Gaza on Thursday evening [Amir Cohen/Reuters]

Explosions send smoke and debris high into the air in Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border, on July 17, 2025 [Amir Cohen/Reuters]

Flares fired by Israeli forces light up the night sky above Gaza [Amir Cohen/Reuters]

Rising suicides among Israeli war returnees

An Israeli combat veteran has sounded the alarm over what he describes as a mental health crisis among soldiers returning from combat in Gaza, citing a recent spike in suicides.

Speaking to Israeli public broadcaster Kan, Tzachi Atedagi, an advocate for the mental health of soldiers, said 10 soldiers had taken their own lives in less than two weeks.

“We are crying out. Enough is enough,” Atedagi told Kan Network B’s This Morning programme.

He said returning combat veterans are struggling to access timely care due to overwhelming bureaucracy.

“Sometimes, a combat veteran doesn’t have 24 hours to wait,” he added, referring to recent suicides by soldiers waiting for mental health support.

Suicides since the beginning of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023 — the highest number in over a decade. Since then, multiple additional cases have emerged. However, an updated official figure is not expected until the end of the year.

Earlier this week, The Times of Israel reported that a soldier was seriously wounded in an apparent suicide attempt while undergoing training in southern Israel.

Church shelling sparks international backlash

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted a military shell struck the Holy Family Church — Gaza’s only Catholic place of worship — calling it a “stray” round and expressing regret over civilian casualties.

“Every innocent life lost is a tragedy,” said Netanyahu in a statement, adding that Israel remains “committed to protecting civilians and holy sites.”

Archbishop Alexios stands in front of the bodies of Palestinian Christians Saad Salama and Foumia Ayyad, who were killed in an Israeli strike on the Holy Family Church, according to medics, as mourners attend their funeral at the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church, in Gaza City on July 17, 2025. — Reuters

A Christian Palestinian woman attends the funeral ceremony of Saad Salameh and Foumia Ayyad, killed earlier in an Israeli strike that hit the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, at the Saint Porphyrius Church on July 17. — AFP

Christian Palestinian mourners attend the funeral ceremony of Saad Salameh and Foumia Ayyad, killed earlier in an Israeli strike that hit the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, at the Saint Porphyrius Church on July 17. — AFP

Christian Palestinian mourners attend the funeral ceremony of Saad Salameh and Foumia Ayyad, killed earlier in an Israeli strike that hit the Holy Family Church in Gaza City, at the Saint Porphyrius Church on July 17. — AFP

His comments followed mounting US pressure, including a call with President Donald Trump, during which Netanyahu reportedly admitted the attack was a mistake.

Monsignor Pascal Gollnisch, head of the French Catholic charity l’Oeuvre d’Orient, condemned the shelling as “totally unacceptable.”

“This was a place of peace, of service to the population,” he told AFP. “There were families. There were civilians.”

The Holy Family Church had served as a shelter for many displaced residents since the beginning of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.