Gaza: Israeli military operations across the Gaza Strip have escalated once again, with at least 38 people killed in air and ground assaults since early Thursday, according to medical sources, cited by Al Jazeera. The intensifying bombardment has drawn further international criticism as the humanitarian situation worsens, and diplomatic tensions rise sharply across the region.
The new wave of strikes comes as the total Palestinian death toll continues its grim climb. The Gaza Health Ministry now reports that at least 53,655 Palestinians have been killed and 121,950 wounded since Israel’s war on Gaza began following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks. However, the Government Media Office claims the real toll may be much higher—reporting more than 61,700 deaths, with thousands believed to be buried under collapsed buildings and rubble.
Thursday’s bombardments affected multiple areas across the densely populated enclave. Emergency responders continue to pull bodies from destroyed residential areas, while local hospitals—many barely functional due to infrastructure damage and fuel shortages—struggle to treat the wounded. The violence has left Gaza’s population of over two million people in an increasingly dire situation, with basic needs like food, water, and medicine critically short.
Meanwhile, tensions flared even beyond Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces fired what they called “warning shots” near a group of foreign diplomats visiting the Jenin refugee camp. The act has been widely condemned, raising alarms about the safety of humanitarian and diplomatic missions in the occupied Palestinian territories. The UN’s chief spokesperson criticized the incident and also emphasized that the limited humanitarian aid now entering Gaza is “nowhere near enough to meet the needs” of the population.
The latest developments further inflame an already critical humanitarian emergency. Aid convoys, when permitted to enter Gaza, are reportedly facing strict limitations and frequent delays. Relief organizations warn that famine-like conditions are spreading, particularly in northern Gaza, where entire neighborhoods have been flattened and displaced civilians live without clean water or medical support.
Israel launched its military campaign following the October 7 attacks by Hamas, during which an estimated 1,139 people were killed inside Israel and more than 200 others taken hostage. The war that followed has become one of the deadliest and most destructive conflicts in modern Middle Eastern history, prompting global calls for an immediate ceasefire.
With civilian deaths mounting, international pressure is growing on Israel to halt its operations. But Israeli officials have maintained that their objective remains the destruction of Hamas’ military capabilities, regardless of the civilian toll or global reaction. Meanwhile, Palestinians continue to bear the brunt of the violence, trapped in a war zone with no safe haven in sight
