2 days ago
Bloody escalation in Gaza amid warnings of humanitarian, health catastrophe
Israeli airstrikes continued to devastate the Gaza Strip on the 105th day of renewed hostilities, leaving dozens of Palestinians dead or wounded amid escalating humanitarian concerns and growing international condemnation over what has been widely described as a campaign of collective punishment.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported 28 fatalities and 223 injuries in the past 24 hours, raising the overall toll since 7 October 2023 to 56,531 killed and 133,642 injured. It noted that 6,203 people have been killed since 18 March alone, as Israeli military operations intensified.
Airstrikes targeted multiple neighbourhoods in eastern Gaza City, including Al-Zaytoun, Al-Sabra, and Al-Daraj, as well as parts of Khan Younis in the south. Emergency services reported that a strike on Gaza City's port area killed 10 civilians and wounded 30 others.
Meanwhile, the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for destroying an Israeli Merkava tank in Abasan al-Kabira, east of Khan Younis, during a joint operation with Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades.
The Israeli military issued fresh evacuation warnings to residents in 18 northern Gaza neighbourhoods, including parts of Gaza City, Jabalia, and districts such as Al-Zaytoun, the Old City, Al-Tuffah, Al-Daraj, Al-Zahra, and Tel Al-Zaatar, ahead of expected bombardments.
On the humanitarian front, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) warned that hundreds of newborns in incubators at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis face imminent death due to a severe shortage of infant formula. Simultaneously, Gaza's Health Ministry reported an acute lack of antibiotics critical for treating meningitis, describing the health situation as catastrophic.
Munir Al-Bursh, Director-General of the ministry, said the health system is near collapse, with only 16 hospitals partially operational and over 80,000 patients at serious risk due to severe medicine shortages.
The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported that more than 810 people have been killed while sheltering inside its facilities since the war began. Gaza's Government Media Office documented Israeli strikes on 256 displacement shelters, housing over 700,000 displaced civilians.
The office condemned a recent strike on Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital as a 'barbaric assault,' renewing calls for urgent international intervention to protect medical facilities and personnel.
Germany expressed 'deep concern' over what it called 'recurring incidents' during aid distribution, referencing reports of so-called 'death traps' allegedly orchestrated by Israeli forces targeting civilians seeking food. Berlin urged unhindered access for UN agencies and humanitarian workers.
Meanwhile, Austria's Foreign Minister Babetta Meinl-Reisinger, during a visit to Jerusalem, sparked controversy by declaring the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation 'not a reliable partner' for aid delivery, without providing further details.
The UN Human Rights Office accused Israel of killing entire displaced families in areas previously designated as 'safe.' It cited a strike on tents sheltering displaced civilians in Khan Younis over the weekend that resulted in multiple deaths.
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces declared Al-Rakeez village in the Masafer Yatta area of Hebron a closed military zone. Separately, groups of Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem under heavy police protection.
Inside Israel, divisions over the war's continuation are widening. According to Haaretz, senior military officials believe the objectives in Gaza have been exhausted. Opposition leader Yair Lapid criticised the government's insistence on prolonging the offensive and called for a new strategic direction.
Regionally, Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari confirmed that Doha is currently involved in efforts related to Iran's nuclear file following the recent Israeli-Iranian confrontation. However, he clarified that there are no active negotiations regarding Gaza, despite what he described as 'serious American intentions' to revive talks.
