Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 59 Palestinians, including women and children, according to hospital officials, as Israel gears up for a broader ground offensive in the enclave. The intensified attacks come just days after the Israeli government approved a controversial plan to expand its military operations, including seizing territory and maintaining control over parts of Gaza.

Among the dead were 27 people, including nine women and three children, who were killed Tuesday night when Israeli airstrikes hit a school sheltering displaced families in central Gaza’s Bureij refugee camp, according to Al-Aqsa Hospital. The strike marked the fifth time the facility has been hit since the war began.

A separate early morning strike on another school-turned-shelter in Gaza City killed 16 more people, while additional strikes across the enclave left at least 16 others dead, according to Al-Ahli Hospital. Images from the scene showed plumes of smoke and flames engulfing the buildings as rescue workers scrambled to pull survivors from the rubble.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not commented on the latest strikes, but Israel has consistently blamed Hamas for civilian casualties, accusing the group of using schools and hospitals to shield its operations.

The recent escalation follows the Israeli government’s endorsement of a military strategy that includes the seizure of more territory in Gaza, displacement of residents to the south, and the delegation of aid distribution to private security contractors. Tens of thousands of reservists are being called up to support the effort, which Israeli officials say will be implemented gradually after U.S. President Donald Trump concludes his visit to the region later this month.

The conflict, now in its 20th month, has already resulted in widespread devastation. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reports over 52,400 Palestinian deaths, primarily women and children, since the war began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 hostages taken. Israel believes 24 of the 59 hostages still in Gaza remain alive.

President Trump caused shock in Israel this week by suggesting only 21 hostages are still living—a statement that contradicts official Israeli estimates. Families of the hostages demanded immediate clarification and called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt military operations until the hostages are safely returned.

Meanwhile, humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to deteriorate. Since the end of a ceasefire in March, Israel has restricted aid shipments, triggering what aid agencies describe as the worst humanitarian crisis of the conflict.

Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has filed a legal complaint against the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), following its formal classification as a “right-wing extremist” organization last week.

The decision, announced by the BfV on Friday, followed a three-year investigation into the party’s ideology and public statements. The agency concluded that the AfD promotes views that violate Germany’s constitutional principles, particularly targeting individuals with migrant backgrounds and promoting an “ethnic-ancestry-based understanding” of German identity.

According to the BfV, the party’s platform excludes certain groups from equal participation in society and aims to subject them to “unconstitutional unequal treatment,” effectively assigning them a “legally devalued status.”

In response, the AfD launched legal action, submitting a complaint to the administrative court in Cologne. Daniel Tapp, spokesperson for co-leader Alice Weidel, confirmed that the necessary documents had been sent and called the BfV’s classification a “serious blow to German democracy.” The party maintains that the decision infringes on its constitutional rights and vows to pursue all legal avenues in its defense.

The AfD’s co-leaders, Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, insist the move is politically motivated. “We will exhaust all legal means to defend the free democratic basic order,” they said in a joint statement.

The ruling has reignited debate across Germany’s political spectrum over how to address the rise of the AfD, which holds 152 seats in the Bundestag and is currently the second-largest party in parliament. Some opponents have previously called for a full ban, though prominent leaders, including outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz, have urged caution, warning against rushed decisions.

The BfV had already classified several parts of the AfD as extremist, including its youth wing and some regional factions. The extension of that label to the entire party now allows for enhanced surveillance, including the monitoring of communications and use of informants.

Jens Spahn, deputy leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said the BfV’s findings must be taken “very seriously.” He added that the CDU, alongside the Social Democrats (SPD), would coordinate closely on how to approach the AfD in future parliamentary proceedings.

The classification marks a significant escalation in Germany’s institutional efforts to counter far-right extremism amid growing concerns about anti-democratic rhetoric and social polarization.