In the past 24 hours, Gaza’s Health Ministry has reported the retrieval of 79 bodies, victims of renewed Israeli strikes, excluding those in hospitals in the heavily damaged northern region, which are currently unreachable. Among the deceased are nine of a doctor’s ten children, highlighting the devastation inflicted on families in the area. Alaa Najjar, a paediatrician at Nasser Hospital, learned that her family’s home had been destroyed while she was on duty. Tragically, her husband sustained severe injuries, and their only surviving child, an 11-year-old son, is critically injured.
The deceased children, whose ages spanned from seven months to 12 years, create a harrowing picture, further exacerbated by the fact that two of them remain trapped under rubble. The Israeli military justified its actions by claiming to target suspects near their forces, labelling Khan Younis as a “dangerous war zone”. They noted that civilians had been evacuated, although they are investigating the reports of civilian casualties.
Following the escalation, a statement indicated that Israeli airstrikes over the past day had targeted more than 100 locations across Gaza, bringing the cumulative death toll to over 53,900 since the onset of hostilities on October 7. Of this figure, 3,747 are reported to have died in Gaza since Israel resumed military activity on March 18, amid efforts to compel Hamas to agree to different ceasefire conditions.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza’s population, now more than two million people, since March. Although recent weeks saw the first aid trucks entering the region, the supply remains perilously low. Food security experts have issued warnings of famine, leading to international pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu’s government to facilitate further aid.
Despite proposals for a new aid distribution system led by a US-backed group, the UN and humanitarian partners have raised concerns, accusing Israel of wielding food as a weapon and violating humanitarian principles. There are indications that Israel may be reconsidering its strategy to allow aid organisations to manage non-food assistance.
The situation escalates as reports of Israeli strikes continue to emerge, alongside concerns regarding the wellbeing of health facilities, such as the European Hospital in southern Gaza, where 11 security personnel remain trapped amid heavy gunfire and airstrikes.
Israel has signalled that military actions will persist until all remaining Israeli hostages—58 in total—are released, with the government stressing its commitment to disarm Hamas. In response, Hamas has insisted that hostage exchanges will hinge on the release of Palestinian prisoners, a ceasefire, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Families of hostages continue protests, demanding urgent negotiations, underscoring the dire humanitarian consequences and the increasing tension in the region, where civilian lives remain at profound risk amidst ongoing conflict.