Gaza: At least 28 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours amid intensified Israeli air raids across the Gaza Strip, further escalating an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Among the dead were eight civilians, including family members of journalist Osama al-Arbid, whose home in northern Gaza was struck on May 28, 2025. The attack marks another devastating blow to Gaza’s press community, which has suffered heavy losses throughout months of relentless conflict.
The situation has grown even more desperate near Rafah, where chaos erupted during an aid distribution managed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Eyewitnesses say Israeli troops opened fire on crowds of starving Palestinians who surged toward the supplies. At least three people were killed and 46 injured in the stampede and gunfire, highlighting the severe scarcity of food and essential aid in the besieged enclave.
In a troubling expansion of regional hostilities, Israeli airstrikes also targeted Yemen’s Sanaa airport for the second time this month. Yemen’s defense ministry quickly condemned the strikes and threatened further retaliation, raising fears of a wider regional escalation involving actors beyond Gaza.
Back in Gaza, the humanitarian toll continues to soar. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 54,056 people have been killed and 123,129 wounded since the start of the war. The Government Media Office puts the death toll even higher — over 61,700 — as thousands are still believed to be buried under rubble and presumed dead.
Israel maintains a total blockade on the strip, cutting off medical supplies, fuel, and humanitarian aid. The World Health Organization and multiple UN agencies have warned that Gaza’s healthcare system is on the brink of total collapse. Only 6 of 22 UNRWA health centers remain partially operational, and essential medicines are nearly depleted.
The current round of violence was triggered by the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attacks on Israel, which killed 1,139 people and saw more than 200 taken hostage. Since then, efforts to broker a ceasefire have repeatedly faltered. Truce negotiations remain deadlocked amid conflicting messages from Hamas and U.S. officials.
As ceasefire hopes fade, grief and fury continue to shape life on the ground. Heart-wrenching images show families carrying the bodies of children through rubble-strewn cemeteries, while destroyed homes, schools, and hospitals testify to the scale of devastation. Humanitarian groups warn that without immediate international intervention, the death toll will continue to rise — not only from bombs, but from starvation, disease, and untreated wounds.
