Gaza endures 633rd day of war as death toll soars

Shafaq News

4 days ago

Shafaq News – Gaza
Israeli forces continued their air and artillery campaign across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, marking the 633rd day of a war that has devastated the enclave's infrastructure, displaced millions, and triggered unprecedented civilian suffering.
Backed by unwavering US military and political support, Israel's military operations have expanded in intensity and scope, targeting aid seekers, residential areas, and medical responders under what the Gaza authorities call 'a sustained campaign of collective punishment.'
According to health officials in Gaza, dozens of Israeli airstrikes struck multiple neighborhoods overnight, including at least six missile attacks on Khan Younis just after midnight. In Gaza's al-Zaytoun district, Israeli artillery shelled residential zones, while additional barrages targeted al-Katiba area in southern Gaza.
At dawn, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians waiting for humanitarian assistance near the Netzarim corridor, south of Gaza City. Medical teams at al-Awda Hospital in al-Nuseirat reported one death and at least 44 injuries in that incident alone.
The cumulative toll is staggering. As of July 1, 2025, the Gaza Ministry of Health reports over 56,531 Palestinians killed, 133,642 wounded, and more than 11,000 missing, many believed buried beneath the rubble. These figures follow the collapse of the March 18 ceasefire and resumption of full-scale military operations. Since the May 27 targeting of food distribution zones, an additional 580 civilians have been killed, 4,216 wounded, and 39 declared missing, with aid points increasingly becoming flashpoints for deadly assaults.
Among the dead are 1,580 medical personnel, 115 civil defense workers, 220 humanitarian staff, and 754 members of police and aid escort teams. Israeli strikes have hit over 15,000 civilian structures, and more than 2,500 families have been entirely wiped from the civil registry, according to Gaza's Government Media Office.
Approximately 88% of Gaza's buildings have been damaged or destroyed, with total economic losses exceeding $62 billion. Israeli forces are estimated to control around 77% of Gaza's territory through ground advances and scorched-earth tactics. Religious, educational, and civic infrastructure has been decimated: 149 schools and universities have been obliterated, 369 partially damaged, along with 828 mosques completely destroyed, 167 damaged, and 19 cemeteries out of 60 obliterated.
Since the war began on October 7, 2023, following Hamas's cross-border attack into Israel, the humanitarian catastrophe inside Gaza has worsened steadily. An estimated 1.9 million Palestinians—nearly 90% of the population—are displaced, many of them multiple times. Access to food, clean water, shelter, and healthcare remains catastrophically limited.
The international humanitarian system is paralyzed. UNRWA has been unable to deliver essential supplies since March 2, 2025, and Israel continues to deny or impede most planned aid missions. Reports of mass casualties at distribution points have become routine. The introduction of the so-called 'Gaza Humanitarian Foundation,' an Israeli-American initiative widely rejected by the United Nations, has been denounced as a façade masking deliberate starvation and forced submission under the guise of relief.
The food crisis has escalated into full-blown famine. Hundreds of thousands face crisis-level hunger, and verified cases of children dying from starvation have emerged.
The health system has collapsed. Most hospitals are non-operational, and those remaining face severe shortages of fuel, medical supplies, and staff. Civilians in need of surgery, dialysis, or emergency care are often left without options. With Gaza's water infrastructure destroyed, residents rely on contaminated sources, increasing the spread of disease.
International legal scrutiny has intensified. The International Court of Justice is currently reviewing a genocide case against Israel. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, previous Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif (whose warrant was rescinded after his death). Rights groups including Amnesty International and OHCHR have cited grave violations of international law, particularly in relation to civilian targeting and the use of starvation as a weapon.
Academic institutions and media have not been spared. At least 180 journalists, 120 academics, and 317 UNRWA personnel have been killed since the war's onset. More than 224 humanitarian aid workers have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Casualty figures continue to rise. On June 30 alone, Gaza's civil defense agency reported 34 deaths, including 11 civilians killed while waiting for food aid. Two days prior, at least 60 Palestinians were killed across Gaza, including 20 in al-Tuffah neighborhood.
Israeli casualties, largely concentrated in the early stages of the war, include approximately 1,195 deaths during Hamas's October 7 attack, and over 1,614 Israelis and foreign nationals killed since then. Israeli military figures claim to have killed more than 20,000 Hamas fighters, though these numbers remain unverified.