Israeli airstrike destroys mosque, displaced persons’ tents in Gaza City, leaves hundreds homeless

An Israeli airstrike destroyed a mosque and tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in central Gaza City on Tuesday, leaving hundreds homeless, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent.

The correspondent said Israeli fighter jets struck the Al-Muttaqin Mosque, located near the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in central Gaza City, completely destroying the building.

The strike also destroyed tents housing displaced families and caused extensive damage to nearby homes and civilian property.

According to the correspondent, hundreds of Palestinians were left without shelter following the attack, amid widespread destruction in the area.

The destroyed tents had been sheltering families displaced after Israeli attacks destroyed their homes, forcing them to live in harsh conditions with limited access to basic necessities.

READ: Israeli shelling, gunfire injure 17 Palestinians in Gaza despite ceasefire

The YMCA in Gaza is a Christian community institution that provides youth, sports, social and humanitarian services to residents of the enclave regardless of religion.

The attack comes as Israel continues its daily attacks in the Gaza Strip despite a ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.

On July 2, Gaza’s Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs said Israeli attacks had completely destroyed 1,050 mosques and partially damaged 191 others out of 1,275 mosques that existed in the enclave before the war.

Since Israel launched its military offensive on Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023, more than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 174,000 wounded, while around 90% of the enclave’s civilian infrastructure has been destroyed, according to Palestinian authorities.

READ: UN chief condemns Israeli occupier attacks on Palestinian communities in West Bank