Israeli strikes kill 37 in Gaza within 24-hours
Israeli attacks across Gaza have killed 37 people in the past 24 hours, including at least nine children, Gaza's civil defence agency said on Sunday.
Mahmud Bassal, a spokesperson for the agency, told AFP that 35 people died in seven separate Israeli drone and air strikes targeting different areas in the enclave. Two more people were killed by Israeli fire while waiting for food aid in the central Gaza Netzarim corridor, he added.
Three children were reportedly killed in an air strike that hit a home in Jabalia, northern Gaza.
At least six more children died in the northeast of Gaza City after a strike landed near a school where displaced families had been taking shelter, according to civil defence.
66 children die of malnutrition
At least 66 children died of malnutrition in Gaza during Israel's ongoing military campaign and blockade, according to Gazan authorities.
The media office in Gaza accused Israel of committing a 'war crime' by deliberately using starvation as a weapon against the civilian population.
In a strongly worded statement, the office described the deaths as 'an ongoing crime against childhood in the Gaza Strip,' and denounced what it called 'the shameful international silence regarding the suffering of children who are left to fall prey to hunger, disease and slow death'.
Read: Trump says Gaza ceasefire possible next week
Officials placed direct blame on Israel and its allies, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, saying that all these countries share responsibility for what they described as a humanitarian catastrophe.
The office called on the United Nations to immediately intervene and open crossings into Gaza to allow the delivery of food, medicine and humanitarian supplies.
Evacuation orders for northern Gaza
Moreover, Israel's military has issued a fresh evacuation order for parts of the northern Gaza Strip, warning of imminent and intensified operations in Gaza City and neighbouring areas.
The notice, shared by military spokesperson Avichay Adraee on social media platform X, instructed residents to "evacuate immediately south to Al-Mawasi" for their safety.
A map was included marking affected zones in northern Gaza.
#عاجل ‼️تحذير الى كل المتواجدين في منطقة مدينة غزة وجباليا وفي أحياء الزيتون الشرقي، البلدة القديمة، التركمان، اجديدة، التفاح، الدرج، الصبرة، جباليا البلد، جباليا النزله، معسكر جباليا، الروضة، النهضة، الزهور، النور، السلام وتل الزعتر
⭕️من أجل أمنكم، اخلوا فوراً جنوباً الى منطقة… pic.twitter.com/WdIPuWZiax — افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) June 29, 2025
"Israeli forces will operate with intense force in these areas," Adraee said. "These military operations will intensify and expand… to destroy the capabilities of the terrorist organisations."
The warning comes more than 20 months into the war with Hamas, as Israeli forces continue operations throughout Gaza. The order signals a likely escalation in northern sectors that have already faced heavy bombardment during earlier phases of the conflict.
Humanitarian agencies have repeatedly raised concerns about the safety and logistical feasibility of mass civilian evacuations under fire, particularly as Al-Mawasi is already overcrowded with displaced people.
There has been no official response yet from Hamas.
Israel's war on Gaza
The Israeli army has launched a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing at least 61,709 Palestinians, including 17,492 children. More than 111,588 people have been injured, and at least 14,222 are missing and presumed dead.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
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